The Dragonblood Saga V: Night's Bane
by ForTalosandtheEmpire
Summary: With the Civil War over, Mara Fides hopes that peace will finally reach Skyrim. However, two new factions rise to war over the province: an ancient clan of vampires bent on destroying the sun forever and the order dedicated to stopping them. It will take all of Mara's power to protect the woman caught in the middle and stop an ancient prophecy.
1. Chapter 1: Discord

**Rating: Rated T for violence, dark themes, and some language.**

 **Disclaimer: Skyrim is the property of Bethesda Game Studios.**

 **This is the fifth installment in** ** _The Dragonblood Saga._** **Please read** _ **Honor Bound,**_ _ **Madness Rising,**_ _ **Into Ashes,**_ **and** _ **Bitter Faith**_ **before starting this story.**

* * *

Explosions rocked the heavy stone walls of the city, launched from the Imperial catapults lined up some distance away on the hillside. The bodies of several Stormcloaks lay dead at my feet, their bodies peppered with my arrows. I stepped around them, following the rest of this band of Imperial soldiers to the entrance of the Palace of Kings. General Tullius and Legate Rikke were in the lead, and as we stopped at the doors the former beckoned to me.

"You, Dragonborn, you're with us." To everyone else, he shouted, "The rest of you, guard the Palace. Make sure _no one else_ gets in!"

Rikke and Tullius marched in first, their weapons at the ready. I followed close behind them, slinking quietly around the outer edge of the hall. Ulfric was on his throne, waiting. Just waiting. And watching us. He looked relaxed, but his eyes were hard and wary. He didn't fool me. I could tell that he was poised to strike at any moment.

"Ulfric Stormcloak!" Tullius roared. "You are guilty of insurrection, murder of Imperial citizens, the assassination of King Torygg, and high treason against the Empire. It's over."

"Not while I'm still breathing, it's not," Galmar snarled, drawing his axe.

Rikke, however, sheathed her blade. "Step aside, Galmar. We're here to accept Ulfric's surrender."

Ulfric glowered at her. "I'll never surrender Skyrim into the hands of a corrupt and dying Empire."

"Skyrim doesn't belong to _you_ , Ulfric," Rikke said.

"No… but I belong to her."

I made a quiet gagging sound, and the Jarl glared in my direction.

"Enough!" The General snapped. "You are traitors and will die traitors' deaths. Stand down and face public execution, or advance and face summary execution by my hands. It matters little to me. Either way I'll be sending your heads back to Cyrodiil."

A tense silence descended on the room. Blood from a cut on my brow that I'd sustained in the prior siege dripped into my eyes and I wiped it away impatiently.

"Well," Galmar finally asked, "what are we waiting for?"

Chaos erupted. Galmar tackled Tullius, and Rikke dragged him back by the back of his neck. While they were preoccupied, I leapt over them to take a swing at Ulfric. He tried to dodge, but he was too slow. My blade cut a deep gash across his chest. He stumbled off the dais and I landed on his throne, perching on the edge as I prepared for another swing. He Shouted at me and my sword was wrenched from my hand. I heard it clatter away across the hall and out of my reach.

"Big mistake," I snarled.

I pounced, ramming into him and knocking him to the floor. My hands were instantly at his throat and fire roared to life in my palms. Instantly, I could smell his skin burning. No one, _no one_ disarms me!

Strong arms hoisted me off of Ulfric and tossed me away. Galmar. I slammed into the table that ran down the length of the hall and slid several feet across its top. I was dazed, but I was too angry to be down for long. I stumbled to my feet just in time to see Rikke run Galmar through with her sword. Then I ran straight for Ulfric. He was backed up against the throne. Angry burns in the outlines of my handprints marked his neck. His free hand clutched his chest, but he was unable to stem the blood that ran profusely from the wound I'd dealt him. He looked up just in time to see my fist as I sent it crashing into his face. There was a satisfying crunching noise as his nose shattered beneath my blow and he went down on his knees.

"Well Ulfric," Tullius said as he walked up to stand beside me, "you can't escape from me this time. Any last requests before I send you to… to wherever it is you people go when you die?"

"Sovnegarde, sir," Rikke cut in.

"Right. Well?"

Ulfric looked up at us. Blood covered his face and dripped down his chest. "Let the Dragonborn be the one to do it. It'll make for a better song."

"Song or not, I just want it _done,_ " Tullius groaned.

I looked at the General and back down at the man at my feet.

"I won't give him the satisfaction," I said, glaring at Ulfric.

"Fine by me."

Tullius stalked up to the crouched Jarl and swung down with his blade. There was a loud _thunk_ and a spurt of crimson. Ulfric's body collapsed on the dais.

"Talos be with you," Rikke murmured.

"What was that, Legate?" Tullius looked up. He'd started to clean the blood off his sword.

"Nothing. Just… saying goodbye."

The General sheathed his sword with a sigh. "Well, the men will be expecting some kind of speech. And we'll need to hand the city over to that Free-Winter fellow."

"Brunwulf. Yes, I've sent men to protect him and bring him here. Windhelm will need a government quickly if we are to prevent more violence."

"The Legion will be staying here for quite some time. I don't expect there to be any further violence. Now to deliver a speech…"

Rikke and I followed him out of the palace. The legionnaires were already assembled before the palace doors. Most of them sported some kind of injury, but every one of them stood to attention all the same. The two of us hung back and the General cleared his throat before addressing the crowd standing before him.

"The rebellion is over," he cried. "Ulfric Stormcloak is dead. His head will be sent to Cyrodiil where it will adorn a spike on the walls of the Imperial City. Let this day be a final warning to all who would still call themselves Stormcloaks. We are turning the city over to Brunwulf Free-Winter, an honorable and faithful man. Many of you will be staying in Windhelm to aid the Jarl in restoring order and stamping out any embers of rebellion that may still smolder here. In appreciation of your exemplary service, I am doubling your pay and compensation to the widows of your fallen comrades. I am proud of all of you. All hail the Emperor! All hail his Legionnaires!"

The soldiers cheered. As the crowd slowly dispersed, General Tullius rubbed his temples and grumbled, "I _hate_ giving speeches."

"It wasn't so bad," Rikke told him with a shrug.

"I hope we haven't just created a martyr."

"There's bound to be resistance. There are still many Stormcloak camps tucked away in the hills. They'll no doubt strike whenever and wherever they can, but without Ulfric to enflame their passions, they'll settled down and return to their homes eventually."

"In the meantime, we'll continue to root them out and put them to the sword," Tullius cut in firmly.

"We couldn't have done this without you. The Empire glories in your accomplishments," he said to me. When I inclined my head in acknowledgment of his praise, he nodded to the Legate. "Come, Rikke. There's still much to be done."

I left them and headed back out of the smoldering city with some of the others. We went up the hill just outside Windhelm, past the catapults that had rained fire down on the city during the siege, to the Imperial camp we'd set up just before the attack. I doubted it would matter much if I stayed. I was sure that between Tullius, Rikke, and the new Jarl, they had everything under control. Besides, I wanted to get back home. Ma was worried enough as it was without an unnecessary delay.

As I walked through the rows of tents, I heard a set of footsteps hurrying toward me. I turned sharply to see a courier. He stopped, breathing hard.

"Got something I'm supposed to deliver. Your hands only," he said between gasps of air.

He reached into his bag and I rolled my eyes. Ma…

He pulled a letter out and squinted at it. "It's from… Falk Firebeard at the Blue Palace?" The courier whistled in amazement. "You've got friends in high places."

I grabbed the letter from him, frowning. Falk? What did he want? I'd done some work for the Thane a few months back clearing the necromancers from a cave near Dragonbridge. Since then, nothing. I slit open the seal and unfolded the parchment. My eyes quickly scanned the writing on the page.

 _Mara Dragonborn,_

 _Over the last few days we've had some disturbing information come to light regarding the events at Wolfskull Cave and the summoning and binding ritual you interrupted there._

 _Given your involvement with that event I'm asking you to return to solitude to help us once more. I'm wary of putting all the details in print. Please come see me at the Blue Palace._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Falk Firebeard_

That didn't sound good.

Looking up at the courier, I said, "Go rest. Get yourself some food. Tell them Mara sent you and you won't have any trouble. I have a letter I need to write."

I hurried off, back to my tent. The moment I was inside, I snatched a piece of parchment, a quill, and some ink. Unnecessary delays were one thing, but this was another matter entirely. I'd stopped the necromancers from summoning _Potema Septim_ in that cave. The Wolf Queen. I wasn't a scholar, but from what I knew about her she was dangerous and one of the _last_ people we needed wandering around Skyrim. If something went wrong…

 _Ma,_

 _The siege is over. I'm fine, and the Empire has Windhelm. Tell Da the legionnaires would have made him proud._

 _Something's come up, though, and I can't make it home just yet._

I snorted. I was sure she'd be thrilled about _that._ No matter what I said, she'd have a fit.

 _I can't say here because I don't know all the details yet, and what I do know (or suspect) I'd rather not get out. Just understand that it's very important and that if I could avoid it and just go back to Whiterun, I would. This is something I have to deal with myself. Don't worry about me. I've made it through far worse than this. Tell everyone I miss them and I'll be home as soon as I can._

 _Mara_

I sighed. Setting down the quill, I rubbed my temples. That should placate her for a while. I sealed the letter and went back out. A few minutes later I found the courier again.

Handing the letter to him, along with some coin, and said, "Take this to Juliana in Whiterun. Got it?"

He nodded and hurried off. I watched him go, feeling some slight relief. One problem down, one to go. It was time to see what exactly Falk had learned that made him so nervous.

* * *

It was morning when I arrived at the Blue Palace. Most of Jarl Elisif's Thanes hadn't yet made it in, so it was mostly just servants hurrying about the palace's halls. The guards that stood watch looked bored. I hurried up the stairs and into the throne room. The Jarl herself wasn't there yet, but Falk was. He caught sight of me and let out and audible sigh of relief.

"The courier must have found you," he said.

"I know I'm not always the easiest person to get ahold of, but he managed it," I told him. "So, the message you sent said something about Wolf Skull cave?"

The Thane glanced around and said in barely more than a whisper, "Yes, and I'm afraid it's not good news."

"What happened?"

"When you broke up the binding Potema escaped," he told me. "We've encountered some of her minions. Styrr says she's still in spirit form or we'd all be dead already."

"Shit." Just when things had actually started to go well…

"You've already done us a service in stopping the binding, but I need you to go talk to him, to see if Styrr can tell us what to do next."

"Who is this Styrr?"

"He's Solitude's priest of Arkay," Falk explained. "He's the one who figured out Potema was still around. He'll help as much as he can."

"And… why me?"

Falk sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not really sure. Styrr thinks you have some sort of link to Potema. I trust his judgment on this. As a priest of Arkay he's had to deal with necromancy before. Nothing as dangerous as Potema, though."

"All right. I'll talk to Styrr. We'll figure something out."

"I wish you well, friend." Falk hesitated and added, "Be careful."

"When am I ever not?" I asked him with a small, cynical smile before turning to leave the palace.


	2. Chapter 2: Wolf

The Hall of the Dead sat in the very center of Solitude. The building was constructed of the same rough gray stone as most of the rest of the city. Patches of nightshade surrounded the place. Pushing the door open, I stepped into the gloomy interior.

As was to be expected, the place was filled with bones, and not just human ones. Deer skulls, troll skulls… The massive, trunked head of a mammoth hung from the ceiling. Candles flickered in between the bones in alcoves along the walls, casting what little light they could. I glanced around. As much as consecrating the dead was a necessary part of service to the Divines, I still felt a bit wary of it.

A man stepped out of the shadows, nearly making me jump in surprise.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

Styrr. I cleared my throat and tried to get myself under control. "Falk sent me to talk to you about Potema."

The priest of Arkay smiled. "You must be then one Falk spoke so highly of. Yes, Potema. Former queen of Solitude and one of the most dangerous necromancers in recorded history. She was responsible for the Empire's near collapse almost five hundred years ago. I believe I have a book about her…"

"And now that Potema has returned?" I asked, cutting in. I recognized a ramble coming on, and wanted to get to the point as quickly as possible.

"Summoned in spirit form is not raised from the dead," he explained. "She'll need help before she can return to the living. For the moment, the Wolf Queen has retreated to a place filled with dead eager to serve her. She has gone to her old Catacombs. A few days ago, one of her servants busted through a wall into the Temple of the Divines. We'll need you to go into the Catacombs themselves."

"I'll do it," I said, taking the key he offered and adjusting my gloves.

"Good. Being at the summoning created a connection to Potema. You are the one to do this. As to Potema herself, find what's left of her body, likely a skeleton. Remove it from the Catacombs and bring it back to be sanctified by Arkay."

Already heading for the door, I called over my shoulder, "Get everything ready. I'll be back."

Leaving the Hall of the Dead, I climbed the hill leading to Castle Dour. A handful of legionnaires trained in the courtyard as I passed, and I heard their captain barking orders at them. The Temple of the Divines, located at the far side of the castle's courtyard, was empty except for a few priests when I entered. As I passed through the chapel, I kept my eyes away from the altar area, not wanting to see the empty place where Talos should have been represented. It was still an angry sting at my heart every time anyone said "Eight."

From the chapel, I headed down into the basement. The key Styrr gave me fit the lock in a gate blocking the final room. It opened with a _creak_ and I stepped inside, shutting it behind me. I didn't want whatever was down there to get out if I could help it.

One of the walls at the very back was broken. Rubble littered the floor. Beyond the hole in the wall was a dark passage. Drawing my bow, I cautiously climbed through the rift and headed inside.

The short tunnel led into a series of abandoned chambers. Light came through ancient, grime-coated windows set high into the walls. Dust and cobwebs coated every surface. In the layer coating the floor I saw several sets of footprints besides my own. From the undead servants Falk and Styrr mentioned, I was sure.

Metal bars blocked the doorway ahead. Footprints marked the ground on either side, showing that the servants passed through. So it had been closed recently. Great.

As I looked around for some sort of switch, I heard a woman's voice hiss in my ear, " _You've arrived at last. The heroine who prevented me from being bound returns to my fold_."

I whirled around, looking for the source, but there was no trace of Potema. She laughed lightly in response.

" _I have much to thank you for, little one. When you die, I will raise you and you can take your place by my side_."

"That's not likely."

The bars slid down into the floor, allowing me to continue. So the Wolf Queen wanted me to reach her. Good.

I kept going through the abandoned halls. Slowly everything became darker as the old chambers gave way to the catacombs themselves. Shriveled draugr rested in alcoves along the walls. The instant I saw one begin to stir, I shot it in the head. Some of the floors of the catacombs further down were filled with water and some sunken areas were completely flooded. I saw a number of decaying bodies lying below the murky water.

Following the faint sound of running water, I stepped out of a ruined doorway at the end of the passage. On the other side was a natural stone tunnel with a high ceiling. Cages hung all around, each one of them filled with mangled bodies. One of them reached out with a strangled groan as I passed by. I jumped back and hastily drew back an arrow. It continued to swing its arm at me, but it was quickly apparent that no matter how it tried it wouldn't be able to reach me. I lowered my bow slightly and hurried onward.

The back of the tunnel was blocked off by a sealed doorway. I pushed down the nearby lever. An instant later there was a loud rumbling sound and the stone obstructing the doorway turned, as if it were part of a giant wheel set into the wall. When an opening appeared, I slipped through to the other side.

* * *

The tunnels went on for some time, patrolled by more of Potema's undead minions and laced with all kinds of traps, both magical and mundane. The caverns finally ended in a rotting wooden door. Nocking an arrow, I carefully pushed it open.

Beyond was a chamber with a high ceiling. In the center was an old grate leading to Divines-only-knew where. There was one other door leading out, and it looked sturdier than the one I'd just passed through. Massive, rough pillars stood at the room's edges. A man stepped out from behind one of them. He was dressed all in black and the torch he held in his hand cast eerie shadows on his pale face.

"You've come far, mortal," he said to me with a sneer. "No doubt you seek to enter Potema's Sanctum. I can see to that. We'll need plenty of fresh corpses to rebuild her army, you see."

His laugh cut off when one of my arrows found its mark in his throat. He fell to the floor, clawing at it. I looked down at him with disdain.

"Shut up," I snapped at him.

Stepping over the dying man, I retrieved an old key from where it rested on the arm of the ruined throne at the far side of the chamber. When I fit it into the lock I heard a low _click._ I pushed the door, and it swung open.

At the end of another set of tunnels was a small, circular room lit by candles set into the walls. The floor was completely covered with a layer of scattered corpses in varying states of decay. I sighed and began picking my way through to the doorway at the other side.

" _Not much further_ ," Potema cooed in my ear. " _Come, little thing. Serve me in death._ "

The door slammed shut behind me and a portcullis dropped to block the way ahead. All around I heard groans as the corpses stirred.

"Damn it," I hissed, drawing my sword.

The reanimated bodies rushed at me and I sliced them down as they came. The heavy smell of decay as I cut into them with my blade nearly made me gag. Soon they all lay in a pile around my feet just as they had been when I arrived: dead. As they should be. When I heard the gate open, I sheathed my sword and grabbed my bow. Potema wasn't finished yet, but neither was I.

There was a door at the bottom of a short set of stairs on the other side. I shoved it open, an arrow at the ready.

I stood in the doorway of a long hall. Heavy stone blocks lined the walls, all the way up to the arched ceiling. Black metal coffins filled the room and stood on either side of its sunken middle. Hovering in the air in the room's very center was a bright, purple-white light that held a vaguely woman-like shape. A laugh emanated from it. Then I heard Potema's voice, her words echoing off the walls.

" _You've come far, mortal, but can you stand against my inner council? Let's see!_ "

The ghost of the Wolf Queen waved her hand and several of the coffins opened with a loud _crack._ Draugr stumbled out of them. As one, they drew their weapons and turned to stare at me.

" _Rip the eyes from her head!_ " She ordered.

I shot one of the undead before dashing out of the way as they all ran toward me. I backed up, firing at each in rapid succession. I took several more down before one took a swing at me with its axe. Ducking to avoid the blow, I threw a fistful of fire at it. It let out an unearthly shriek as it staggered back, burning. It fell to the ground, writhing, and soon was no more than ash and burnt bones.

" _Don't applaud yourself too soon, worm!_ "

Potema shot a bolt of lightning at me, and I barely ducked behind one of the coffins in time to avoid being hit by it. She screamed in rage at my escape.

I took a moment to catch my breath before calling out, "I thought the infamous Wolf Queen would be more _impressive_ than this! Some undead and a couple of sparks? What a joke!"

" _I am the most powerful necromancer you will ever see, insolent girl! I am a Septim! The Ruby Throne is mine!_ "

"I knew another Septim, once. Martin. Your great-something grandnephew, I think. Good man. Good leader. Better than you."

" _He was a_ bastard!" Potema shrieked.

"He still got closer to the throne than you did!" I shouted back.

There was another scream and sparks danced off the walls. I ducked, covering my head and gritting my teeth. Then I heard a loud rushing sound. Peering around from my hiding place, I saw the light vanish through a doorway at the other end of the hall. I stumbled to my feet, exchanging my bow for my sword. She wasn't going to get away from me again. I hurried through the doorway and looked up.

At the top of a short flight of stairs was an ancient throne. A skull sat on it, a crown set with shining moonstones resting on its brow. As I approached, a ghostly figure rose from the throne. A woman, wearing the same crown. She drew her sword.

" _You dare to face me, you pathetic worm?_ " She snarled.

I shrugged. "I never seem to know when to quit."

My sword snapped up just in time to block her strike with the flat of the blade. I sidestepped and she followed close behind. I saw her grit her teeth. Suddenly her whole form arced with sparking energy. I staggered back. She cackled.

Letting the familiar power coil through my veins and on my tongue, I released the Shout. Her eyes widened in shock an instant before she vanished in a burst of smoke that quickly faded away.

I took a deep breath and sheathed my sword. Grabbing the skull from where it rested on the throne, I made for the door at the back of the room. It took some work, but I finally managed to shove it open. I stepped out, blinking, into the sunlight.

I stood on a thin precipice overlooking Solitude's bay. Glancing down at the rocky cliff below, I sighed. It wasn't going to be easy to get down that way.

* * *

"I have Potema's remains," I called out the moment I stepped back into the Hall of the Dead. Styrr hurried out from one of the back rooms. I wondered what he was working on, but quickly decided it was probably best not to know.

"Excellent! These things do have a way of working out when people take action. I'll sanctify the remains." As he took the skull from me, he added, "In case Falk doesn't make it clear – Solitude owes you a debt of gratitude."

He set the skull down on a prepared altar. I stared at it and crossed my arms.

"So. The Wolf Queen. I almost wish I'd known more about her before going down there."

"A curious figure," Styrr told me, obviously distracted. "Unrepentantly evil and nasty, of course, but also astonishingly brilliant, and obviously quite a necromancer at her end. She was always so close to being Empress, but despite her machinations it was never to be hers. Ironically, if she were alive today, she'd be the only living member of the Septim bloodline. By all rights, she would now be Empress."

I hesitated at that. Uncrossing my arms, I asked him slowly, "The Empire still acknowledges the Septims' claim to the Ruby Throne?"

"Yes… although you didn't hear that from me. Understand?"

I nodded. In the current world, saying things like that was nothing short of treason. To the usurper it was, at least. But… it was good to know I wasn't the _only_ one left who acknowledged such things.

I left the Hall of the Dead and hurried back to the Blue Palace. It was late in the evening, but many of the Thanes still milled about. I nodded to Falk, not wanting to discuss the matter in front of everyone, and he quickly hurried over.

"I've taken care of Potema," I told him in a hushed voice once I was reasonably sure no one else could hear. His shoulders instantly relaxed, as if I'd removed a great weight from them.

"You've done a great thing today. Potema would have been a blight on the land. Without you this would have been a disaster. I should have paid more heed to Varnius's warnings. I won't make that mistake again." Carefully handing me a purse, he said, "Take this payment – the Jarl would thank you, but she very much wants to keep Potema's return quiet."

I looked inside and barely stopped myself from sucking in a surprised breath. That was no small amount of drakes.

"I understand," I said quietly.

"Make no mistake: we consider you a protector of Solitude."

That was hard to mistake, to be honest. And I understood their fears about letting that particular slip get out. He nodded to me and walked back over to join the others by Jarl Elisif's throne while I quietly slipped away and out of the palace.


	3. Chapter 3: Dawnguard

Talk of a rogue dragon near Riften brought me east, toward the city. Dealing with him had been easy enough, but somehow I'd also managed to get myself drawn into an issue regarding a local stable hand's debt. Getting involved hadn't been my first choice, but from what Shadr had said I was sure the woman in question worked for the Guild. That made it personal.

True to her name, the Sapphire I was after had eyes the same vibrant blue as the gem. Eyes that narrowed at my approach.

I stopped and looked her over. She wore leather armor, patched in places. The Guild wasn't well-off from the looks of it, not judging by her appearance. Mine had struggled at times, but we'd always been better outfitted than that.

"Yeah? What's your problem?" She snapped as she leaned against the outside wall of the _Bee and Barb_ tavern.

"I'm here about Shadr's debt."

"I _knew_ that stupid kid would try and find a way to weasel out of his debt," she growled. "Look, this is really simple. I lent him some gold, he promised to pay me back, and now he says he's broke. End of story."

Leaning closer, I said to her in an undertone, "You and I both know this is a setup."

She sighed. "All right, all right. I guess I made enough from his shipment. No need to waste any more time threatening a stable hand. Tell Shadr he doesn't owe me anything."

I stared at her, hard, before walking away.

"I'd watch your back if I were you, Dragonborn," she called after me.

I turned back to face her with a short laugh. "I've _always_ been watching for the knife in my back. Let's face it: thieves are thieves. Nothing changes."

She glared at me and I smirked. Giving her a mock salute, I walked out through the gates to the stables.

Shadr was waiting for me, an anxious shadow in the deepening twilight. He paced back and forth, fidgeting nervously. As I walked up to him, the Redguard asked in a harried voice, "Any luck with Sapphire?"

"Yes. I got her to release you from your debt."

"By the Eight! You actually talked her into it?" When I nodded he let out a shocked laugh. "I… I don't know what to say. I didn't think anyone in Riften even cared what happened to me."

He hurried off and quickly returned with a bottle, which he pressed into my hands.

"Look, I was saving this, but I wanted you to have it. I thought I might need it if Sapphire came for me, but I don't need it anymore."

I glanced at the milky substance contained inside. An invisibility potion, by the looks of it. Decent quality. The bottle was still sealed, so I supposed I could sell it. Or I could bring it home and save it for later. It never hurt to have one around. In either case, I put it into my bag.

Before I could do anything more, I heard the horses whiny in fear. I turned around. Three figures in black approached us from the shadows. Beneath their dark hoods, I saw that their amber-colored eyes glowed brightly.

"Get inside," I hissed to Shadr. " _Now._ "

I heard his hurried footsteps on the dirt behind me and the sound of a door slamming shut. He was out of the way. Good. I drew my sword, my eyes never leaving the three off them as they stalked forward.

"No matter," the one in the middle growled. "We will have him as well soon enough. Once you're dead."

"Just try it."

He hissed at me, and I saw long, razor-sharp fangs in his mouth. Vampires. The last time I'd seen one of them had been during my meeting with the rather obvious count of Skingrad while trying to secure troops to send to Bruma. He hadn't been attacking anyone. These three, on the other hand…

The first struck, fangs glinting and eyes flashing. I dodged to the side and he stumbled. Taking advantage of that, I stabbed him through the chest. He crumpled, his flesh disintegrating into black ashes. The others watched me with wary eyes. I stared back at them, sinking back into a fighting stance.

"Who's next?"

When the second rushed forward I Shouted flames at her. She screamed as she fell to the dirt, burning alive. Two down, one to go. My gaze swung around as I searched for the last vampire, but he'd vanished. Then there was a choked noise from behind me. I spun around and there was the last vampire. He fell at my feet, a steel-headed axe embedded in his back.

Just past him stood an orc dressed in padded armor. His yellow hair was pulled back. Reaching down, he pulled his axe from the vampire's body as it disintegrated.

"You," he said, straightening back up. "The Dawnguard is looking for anyone to fight against the growing vampire menace. What do you say?"

I stared at him. "The Da… What?"

"The Dawnguard. We're vampire hunters. We search out and destroy those bloodsucking scum wherever we find them."

So there were more than just those three. I looked down at the three piles of smoking ash, weighing my options. I sighed.

"If there are more of those things lurking about, I should probably help you deal with them," I relented. "Where do I find this… "Dawnguard" of yours?"

The orc chuckled. "Isran's going to like you. Go talk to him at Fort Dawnguard, southeast of here."

He left, heading down the road leading away from the city. Once he was gone, I heard people running toward me. Guards.

"What happened here?" One of them breathed.

"Vampires. Make sure the people are safe. I don't know if they'll try again, but I don't want to risk someone actually getting hurt."

They all nodded as I passed with an echo of, "Yes, Dragonborn."

The gates closed behind me as I stepped back into the city, making my way back toward the _Bee and Barb_. As I passed through the main room, I called, "Change of plans, Talen. I'm leaving in the morning."

The Argonian behind the counter looked up at me and nodded, and I hurried up the stairs leading to the inn's upper floor. Locking the door behind me, I stripped off my armor and lay down, tucking a knife beneath the pillow. The Guild was all talk. They wouldn't try anything, but it never hurt to take precautions.

So. Vampires and vampire hunters. That could be interesting.

* * *

I headed out from Riften early the next morning. The sun rose over the Veloth Mountains to the east, turning the sky shades of pink and pale blue. Where the orc had directed me, I found a crevice set into the Cliffside. Torches burned at the entrance. That seemed like my best bet to find those so-called "Dawnguard" he spoke of.

Passing through the short, dark space, I stepped out the other side into a bright, winding canyon filled with trees. A dirt trail cut through the place and I followed it as it passed alongside a river.

Ahead, a waterfall dropped down into the river leading back the way I'd come. Even from that distance, I could feel the cool breeze cast by the spray on my face. A young blond Nord stood on the bank, wringing his hands as if nervous. He looked around at my approach and gave me a relieved smile.

"Oh, hey there! You here to join the Dawnguard, too?"

Well, I was clearly in the right place. "I'm here to see what they're doing, at least."

"Truth is, I'm a little nervous," he said, giving me a sheepish grin. "I've never done anything like this before. I hope you don't mind if I walk up with you."

"Fine."

I started back up the trail that I assumed led to the fortress itself. The Nord followed close behind.

"Hey, uh, don't tell Isran I was afraid to meet him by myself. Not the best first impression for a new vampire hunter, I guess."

I rolled my eyes. Divines help this Dawnguard if _that_ was the kind of person they were getting as their recruits. I had more and more reservations about the whole thing as time went on. As we walked, the boy just kept _talking._

"I heard what's going on. The vampires, the Dawnguard, all of it. I wanted to help, so here I am. You've probably killed lots of vampires, huh? I'm sure Isran will sign you right up. Not sure he'll take me. I hope so."

I hoped he could actually use a weapon in a fight, but I didn't say anything.

We rounded a bend in the canyon and I saw it, looming ahead. Massive walls and turrets constructed of dark stone. The Nord boy inhaled sharply at the sight of it.

"That must be it," he breathed. "Fort Dawnguard… Wow. Bigger than I expected."

I looked at him askance. What _had_ he expected, exactly? Still, he didn't seem to notice as he hurried forward and took the lead. His blond head swiveled back and forth as he took everything in.

"Where is everybody? This place looks almost deserted."

I'd noticed that as well. The fortress's towers were dark. As we got closer to the fortress itself, we passed by a recently-constructed wooden post wall that partially blocked it off from the rest of the canyon. Barrels and crates sat here and there beyond the wall, and I saw a few lit fires. So there were others nearby somewhere. Just not many, from the looks of it. That wasn't a good sign.

After passing beneath the shadow of one of the towers, I finally saw another person other than my companion. I was sure he was the same orc I'd run into in Riften, the one who'd directed me to the Dawnguard. He stood by one of the fires, aiming a crossbow at a nearby fallen tree. He fired a bolt and quickly reloaded. I stopped for a moment to watch him. Crossbows weren't something I'd seen very often. They were Dwemer in origin, I think, and picked up by the Legion in some places. I'd seen a few in Morrowind. But they were never popular with the ranged troops or foresters. They'd always used bows. Crossbows were too slow. I wondered why the Dawnguard was using them, and where they'd gotten them.

He stopped his target practice when he caught sight of me and gave me a short nod. He recognized me. Good.

I followed the boy up the final stretch of the hill as it snaked toward the fortress's entrance. He took a deep breath, as if steeling himself.

"I guess this is it. Wish me luck."

He'd need it.

Upon reaching the main building, a man stepped out of the doors leading into the fortress and stopped at the top of the stairs. He looked down at us.

"New recruits?" He asked.

Neither of us said a word. The man's gaze quickly passed over the boy and settled on me. I cocked an eyebrow at his appraising look and he nodded back toward the doors behind him.

"Isran will decide if you've got what it takes. Go on. He's right inside."

I went in first, shouldering open the heavy front door. Inside was a massive circular chamber several stories high. The upper levels were ringed with iron railings. Yet more barrels and crates rested against the walls. Above hung several old, faded purple banners decorated with gold designs of what I thought might be some kind of stylized sun. Every surface was covered with cobwebs and a thick layer of dust. Two men stood in the center of the room, arguing.

"Why are you here, Tolan?" The first asked. He was a huge, muscular Redguard with a bald head and a long, dark beard. He wore similar armor to the orc I'd seen earlier. "The Vigilants and I were finished with each other a long time ago."

"You know why I'm here," the other man said. "The Vigilants are under attack everywhere. The vampires are much more dangerous than we believed."

"And now you want to come running to safety with the Dawnguard, is that it?"

I crossed my arms and waited for them to finish.

"I remember Keeper Carcette telling me repeatedly that Fort Dawnguard is a crumbling ruin, not worth the expense and manpower to repair," he went on. "And now that you've stirred up the vampires against you, you come begging for my protection?"

In a strained voice, the second man said, "Isran, Carcette is dead. The Hall of the Vigilants… everyone… they're all dead. You were right, we were wrong. Isn't that enough for you?"

"Yes, well… I never wanted any of this to happen. I tried to warn all of you… I am sorry, you know."

I cleared my throat and both men looked around at the noise. The first man, Isran, narrowed his silver eyes.

"So, who are you?" He asked me. "What do you want?"

I stepped out of the shadowy doorway. "My name is Mara, sometimes Mara Dragonborn. Maybe you've heard of me."

"I have."

"Good. I came out here because I heard you were putting together some vampire hunters."

Isran eyed me with some interest upon hearing that. "You heard right. I'm glad word's finally starting to get around. But that means it won't be long before the vampires start to take notice as well."

"I'm not looking to actually join your little gang," I told him. "It is, however, my job to keep this place in one piece, so I'll do what I can to help you out. Now, what do you need?"

"I need someone out in the field, taking the fight to the damn vampires, while we're getting the fort back into shape. Tolan was telling me about some cave the Vigilants were poking around in. Seemed to think it was related to these recent vampire attacks. Tolan, tell her about, what was it, Dimhallow?"

The other man nodded. "Yes, that's it. Dimhollow Crypt. Brother Adalvald was sure it held some long-lost vampire artifact of some kind. We didn't listen to him any more than we did Isran. He was at the hall when it was attacked…"

"That's good enough for me," Isran cut in. To me, he said, "Go see what the vampires were looking for in this Dimhollow Crypt. With any luck, they'll still be there. Here…" He went over to one of the crates. Opening it, he pulled out a crossbow and held it out to me. "You should take a crossbow. Good for taking out those fiends before they get close."

I pushed it away and shook my head. "Call me old-fashioned, but I'll stick to my own bow, thanks. I know exactly what I can do with it."

"Suit yourself. Feel free to poke around the fort and take what you need. There isn't much yet, but you're welcome to anything you can use."

"I'll meet you at Dimhollow. It's the least I can do to avenge my fallen comrades," Tolan said.

"Tolan, I don't think that's a good idea. You Vigilants were never trained for–"

"I know what you think of us," the Vigilant snapped. "You think that we're cowards. You think out deaths proved our weakness. Stendarr grant that you do not have to face the same test and be found wanting. I'm going to Dimhollow Crypt. Perhaps I can be of some small assistance to you."

"I'll look for you there."

Tolan left and I started rummaging around in the crates looking for anything that might actually be helpful to me. I mostly found bits of heavy armor and crossbow equipment. Not useful to me in the slightest. I did find some bottles in one, however. I unstopped one of them and checked the smell. A healing potion. I put it in my bag.

Behind me, I heard Isran bark, "You there, boy. Stop skulking in the shadows and step up here. What's your name?"

"I'm, uh… My name is Agmaer, sir," the Nord stammered.

I looked back to see the leader of the Dawnguard roll his eyes. "Do I look like a " _sir_ " to you, boy? I'm not a soldier, and you're not joining the army."

"Yes, si… Isran."

"Didn't I tell you to step forward?" Agmaer did, looking like he was trying his best not to shake, and Isran looked him over while stroking his beard. "Farm boy, huh? What's your weapon?"

His voice seemed higher than before as he said, "My weapon? I mostly just use my pa's axe, when wolves are attacking the goats or something."

I snorted. The poor boy was in way over his head.

""My pa's axe." Stendarr preserve us." After chuckling briefly, Isran pushed the crossbow he'd tried to give to me into a terrified Agmaer's hands. "Don't worry; I think we can make a Dawnguard out of you. Here, take this crossbow, and let's see how you shoot."

"Uh, crossbow? I've never–"

"Yes, a _crossbow_. Best thing for killing vampires." He grabbed the boy's shoulders and steered him across the room. "Just take a few shots at those crates over there."

I went back to my search, faintly listening to the sounds of the clanks of the crossbow's mechanism and the sharp _thud_ of a bolt hitting a crate.

"That's it. Take a deep breath and let it out as you fire. Watch the recoil. Takes some getting used to."

I heard a loud clatter as the bolt missed its mark. A moment later it skittered across the floor and stopped near my feet.

"Watch it!" I shouted at them. Agmaer grimaced.

"You need to concentrate, boy. Try it again."

In an adjacent room, I found a map of Skyrim spread out on a table. A marker labeled "Dimhollow Crypt" rested in the mountains far to the west, just east of Morthal. I took note of the location.

Isran was still helping Agmaer as I passed and I nodded to him as I made for the fortress's door.


	4. Chapter 4: Awakening

It was snowing when I arrived at Dimhollow Crypt. I sighed and kept walking, careful not to slip on the steps leading up to the entrance. The blasted cold was one of the worst parts about Skyrim, but I was slowly becoming used to it. I doubted I'd ever like it, however.

A torch lay outside the mouth of the cave, abandoned in the snow. It had gone out, but it still seemed fresh. Something was wrong. I drew my bow and crept inside.

It was dark in the cave, very dark. The wind chill was gone, but it didn't help the cold much. I could still see the clouds formed by my breath in the air.

The short tunnel let out into a larger cavern filled with ancient, broken stone arches. A waterfall came down from the ceiling into a pool at the middle of the chamber. The ground around it was cracked and uneven. From somewhere in the cave, I heard a harsh voice speak.

"These Vigilants never know when to give up. I thought we'd taught them enough of a lesson at their hall."

"To come in here alone…" a second voice said with a snort. "… A fool like all the rest of them."

"He fought well, though. Jeron and Bresoth were no match for him."

"Ha! Those two deserved what they got. Their arrogance had become insufferable."

I finally caught sight of them by the faint torch light. Two figures dressed in dark clothing stood on the other side of the cave. Even from a distance I could see their eyes glowing like embers in the darkness. Vampires. I made out the outline of a body at their feet. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I prayed that it wasn't Tolan.

The first vampire sighed. "All this talk is making me thirsty. Perhaps another Vigilant will wander in soon."

I nocked an arrow and drew it back, waiting.

"I wish Lokil would hurry it up. I have half a mind to return to the castle and tell Harkon what a fool he's entrusted this mission to."

"And _I_ have half a mind to tell Lokil of your disloyalty."

"You wouldn't dare," the second snarled. "Now shut up and keep on watch."

I heard a faint _thunk_ as I shot down the first vampire. When the second vampire spun wildly, amber eyes searching the shadows for me, I stuck her with one of my arrows as well. From my place of safety I watched their bodies burn away. Once I was sure it was safe, I hurried over to them.

The body did belong to Tolan. His throat was torn open, presumably by the vampires. He held his amulet of Stendarr tightly in his fist. I carefully pried it away, tucking the horn charm and its chain into my pack. I'd find a shrine to place it at and maybe give the man some peace. It was the best I could do in the circumstances.

Tugging on a nearby chain half-hidden in the shadows, I opened the portcullis that blocked the passage leading deeper into the underground ruins.

* * *

I encountered yet more vampires throughout Dimhollow's dark passageways. I usually found them fighting off draugr that rose to defend their crypt. I waited until one side emerged victorious before finishing them off. It was easier than fighting off both types of undead at once.

The vampires also had strange, black, furless hounds with them that constantly let off a strange black mist. Their eyes glowed blood-red to their masters' fiery orange.

The tunnels wound downward, an underground stream started by the waterfall at the entrance running through them. Old bones lay at them bottom of the pools that occasionally collected here and there. Wrinkling my nose, I hurried onward. All that mattered was finding whatever the vampires were looking for – and they _were_ looking for something – before they did. They wanted it enough that the result of them finding it I'm sure would be catastrophic.

Rough passages eventually ended in a door flanked by statues depicting hulking, winged beasts. Carefully, I pulled the door open and peered through. On the other side was a balcony looking out onto another large cavern. The water that ran through the rest of the ruin seemed to collect there in a massive pool. Its surface was inky black and rippled slightly. Above it was some kind of circular platform covered in several rings of stone arches. I crept inside, quietly shutting the door behind me.

"'ll never tell you anything, vampire!" A man's voice cried out. "My oath to Stendarr is stronger than any suffering you can inflict on me."

Below, before the bridge leading out to the man-made island, two vampires stood over a man lying on the ground. I saw that he was wearing the same combination of robes and armor that Tolan had.

"I believe you, Vigilant. And I don't think you even know what you've found here. So go and meet your beloved Stendarr." The vampire drew his sword and ran the Vigilant through, twisting his blade with a growl. The man gasped once. Then his head fell back and he was still.

"Are you sure that was wise, Lokil?" The other vampire snapped. "He still might have told us something. We haven't gotten anywhere ourselves with–"

"He knew nothing," Lokil sneered, cutting her off. "He served his purpose by leading us to this place. Now it is up to us to bring Harkon the prize. And we will not return without it. Vingalmo and Orthjolf will make way for me after this."

"Yes, of course, Lokil. Do not forget who brought you news of the Vigilants' discovery."

He grinned at her. "I _never_ forget who my friends are. Or my enemies."

The two of them abandoned the Vigilant's body and started toward the bridge. Before they could reach it, I shot an arrow at them, taking down the female. Lokil instantly ducked into the shadows and disappeared from view. I held my breath and listened hard for sounds of footsteps. Nothing.

There was a loud snarl in my ear and I whirled around, instinctively using a Shout. Lokil went flying as the _boom_ echoed through the chamber, hitting a pillar and sliding to the ground. I hurried over to the stunned vampire. Holding him down with a boot on his chest, I shot him through one of his bright yellow eyes. He hissed before turning to ash.

I made my way down the stairs, across the bridge, and onto the island. Passing through the stone arches, I glanced around warily. Deep, concentric rings cut into the stone floor beneath my feet, linked by cold metal braziers. At the very center was a pedestal topped with a button. I stopped before it, frowning. Was that what the vampires were looking for? There was really only one way to find out.

I pressed it.

Instantly, I felt something prick my hand. I started back. Yanking my hand away, I saw a needle descending back into the top of the pedestal. Its tip was tinged red with my blood. All around, purple flames roared to life in the braziers and raced around the circles. I watched their progress as I healed my palm.

With a low _rumble_ , the floor slid down into sunken steps as the pedestal rose, revealing a stone monolith beneath. Just as suddenly as it begun, everything went still and silent. I took a few cautious steps forward and slowly circled the monolith. That had to be what they were searching for, but… what _was_ it, exactly? Reaching out, I carefully touched the stone with my fingertips. A panel slid down then, revealing the monolith for what it truly was.

A coffin.

There was a body inside, a woman's. The only problem was… she didn't _look_ dead, or not nearly as dead as she should have. The place must have been sealed up for hundreds of years, if not longer. But she didn't look anything like the draugr that inhabited the earlier portions of the ruins. No, she looked like she'd only just been sealed in.

Her skin was very pale, the features of her beautiful face angular and refined. Dark veins marred the skin beneath her closed eyes. Her black hair brushed against her shoulders. She wore black and rose-colored light armor with a dark cape slung over her shoulders. A gilded dagger rested on her hip. Her arms were crossed over her chest.

The woman suddenly let out a gasp and fell forward, catching herself on her hands. I hastily knelt down beside her.

"Steady," I told her. "Deep breaths."

She took several shaky breaths and shook her head. "Unh… Where is… Who sent you here?"

"Who were you expecting?" I asked her.

"I was expecting someone... like _me_ , at least."

She finally looked up at me, and I saw her bright amber eyes.

I frowned. "Are you a..."

"Vampire, yes," she said.

I got to my feet and she did as well. She wobbled a little, but remained upright. Once she seemed satisfied that she wouldn't fall, she crossed her arms and watched me.

"Why were you locked away like this?" I asked, nodding to the coffin.

"That's... complicated." She sighed. "And I'm not totally sure if I can trust you. But if you want to know the whole story, help me get back to my family's home."

"Fine. As long as you don't get in my way."

"I was going to say the same thing to you."

I snorted. Oh, that was _definitely_ going to be interesting.

"So, I can't exactly take you home if I don't know where "home" is," I pointed out.

"My family used to live on an island to the west of solitude. I would guess they still do. Not the most welcoming place, but depending on who's around, I'll be safe there."

"Someone you don't want to see?"

"My father and I don't really get along." She groaned. "Saying it aloud makes it sound so… _common._ "Little girl who doesn't get along with her father." Read _that_ story a hundred times."

I didn't push any further. She hesitated a moment and said, "By the way... my name is Serana. Good to meet you."

I cautiously shook the hand she held out. "Mara."

Even through my glove, her skin was like ice. I couldn't imagine that it was very warm inside that stone coffin for however long she was trapped in there. That was when I noticed the somewhat-familiar gilded cylinder strapped to her back.

"Wait… is that an Elder Scroll?" I asked her, surprised.

She pulled back, suddenly defensive. "Yes, it is. And it's mine."

"I wasn't planning on stealing it," I told her, holding up my hands. "I was just curious about why you had one."

"It's–"

"Complicated. Got it. Any idea how to get out of here?"

The vampire shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. This place looks pretty different from when I was locked away."

Glancing around, I noticed that there was a doorway set high in the opposite wall from the way I'd come in. I nodded to it and said, "Let's try over there."

Serana followed me across another bridge and up the set of stairs that led up to the door. On the landing was one of those winged statues. As we neared it, there was a loud _crack_ and it reared up with a roar. I shot an arrow at it, but it did little more than bounce off. Serana rushed forward, raising her hand. Between her fingers glowed a pulsing red light. I heard a strange crackling, rushing sound. When the monster staggered I Shouted at it and it slammed back into the wall, crumbling from the force of the impact.

Serana turned back to face me. "Was that what I think it was?"

"Yes. Now let's keep moving and pray we don't run into anything else on the way out."

We finished climbing the stairs and I pulled open the door at the top. Serana peered inside.

"This feels like the right way." She laughed. "I was starting to worry."

I rolled my eyes. "Let's go."

The crypt-lined passages ahead led out into a dark, octagonal chamber. A set of stairs led down from where we stood and from every other side as well down to the room's sunken middle. Four pillars surrounded the room's only source of light: a firepit at the center. On the other side, cut into the stairs, was a kind of dais. A draugr lounged in the throne that rested on it. The moment we stepped into the chamber, he looked up at us and growled.

" _Damn it,_ " I hissed.

Several other draugr appeared out of the shadows. I heard Serana draw her knife.

"Are you ready for this?" I asked her.

She nodded. "I still remember how to fight."

"Good. You'll need to."

I quickly drew and fired, shooting down one of the approaching undead. It tumbled down the stairs, but another quickly replaced it. I cut down every one of them that got in my way as I ran for their leader. The draugr lords could Shout, something I'd learned the hard way. It saw me coming and grinned as it banged its axe against its shield. I fired an arrow at it, which it quickly deflected.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Serana gesturing over one of the fallen draugr. Blue light streamed from her hands into the corpse. It promptly got to its feet and hefted its axe before running straight for the draugr lord. The more powerful draugr cut it down with ease, and it disintegrated into dust. Faint blue tendrils rose from the pile. When the draugr looked back up at me, I shot it through one of the eyeholes in its helmet. It crumpled and lay still.

Serana hurried over a moment later looking shaken, but unharmed. I led her up to another hallway at the far side of the room. At the end was a gate, and on the other side I saw a short, snow-filled tunnel leading out into the light. Tugging on a nearby chain, I opened up the gate and we stepped out.

The moment we were out in the open, Serana stopped, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. "It's so good to _breathe_ again! Even in this weather, it's better than the cave."

It was snowing again. White flakes fell all around us and stuck in the vampire's dark hair. She quickly tugged up her hood to cover her head.

"How long were you in there?" I asked her.

"Good question. Hard to say. I… I can't really tell. I feel like it was a long time." She chewed on her lip for a moment before asking, "Who is Skyrim's High King?"

"She hasn't been officially crowned yet, but everyone's sure Elisif of Solitude will be High Queen," I told her.

"I don't know that name. You say she's Jarl of Solitude? Who supports her?"

"With Ulfric dead, most of Skyrim is now backing her, along with the Empire."

"Empire? What… What empire?"

I looked at her, feeling confused. What in Talos's name did she mean by that?

" _The_ Empire? Centered in Cyrodiil? Ring any bells?" I asked.

She stared at me, perplexed. " _Cyrodiil_ is the seat of an empire? I must have been gone longer than I thought. Definitely longer than we planned."

I did a quick count. " _What empire_ ," she'd said. There'd been an Empire in Cyrodiil since the days of Alessia… over four thousand years ago. I let out a long, surprised whistle.

"And I thought _I_ was asleep in a cave for a long time," I murmured.


	5. Chapter 5: Blood

It took us over a week to reach our destination on foot. Before we could get there, however, Serana was interested in seeing Solitude itself. When we stopped there so that I could get supplies, she stared around at the city with fascination.

"From the castle, you used to just be able to see Solitude over the mountains," she breathed. "It's exactly what I imagined."

"Didn't get out much?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She looked down at her hands and laughed uncomfortably. "Ah, no. No, it was mostly just my books and me."

Divines save me from everyone and their books.

We took the road leading west from Solitude toward Dragonbridge for a while before turning north into the wilderness. We reached the north coast, looking out onto the Sea of Ghosts, and continued west from there.

My boots crunched loudly over the rocky beach as I walked. I listened to the nearby sound of the roaring waves. Thick mist hung over the water to my right. Overhead the sky was inky black and filled with thousands of sparkling stars. The only light came from Masser and Secunda, rising behind me in the east.

"That pendant you're wearing… What is it?" Serana asked me suddenly.

My amulet, I realized. She was talking about my amulet. I glanced over at Serana and saw her amber eyes glowing bright in the darkness. My thumb rubbed absently over the bronze amulet.

"It's an amulet of Talos." When I remembered that the name would mean nothing to her, I explained, "He was a human general once, a long time ago. Then an Emperor. After he died, he became the ninth Divine."

The vampire continued to stare at me. "What are the Divines?"

I barely resisted the urge to smack myself in the forehead. The woman predated _Alessia,_ the one responsible for originally defining the pantheon. Of course she wouldn't know…

"It's a pantheon that was formed with the founding of the First Empire. Akatosh, Arkay, Stendarr, Zenithar, Dibella, Julianos Kynareth… Kyne…" I amended. Serana was from older Skyrim, and I thought the archaic name might be more familiar. "… Mara, and Talos."

"So you worship a man who was born, and died, after I was locked away?"

"Yes." I stared at her, practically daring her to contest it, but she said nothing else.

The silence stretched on for some time before Serana stopped, pointing at something in the distance.

"That's it, out there to the north." I looked in the direction that she indicated. Across the dark water and through the mist I saw the shadowy turrets of a large castle. "We used to keep a boat around here to get there and back."

Nearby I noticed a run-down dock with a single rowboat tethered to it.

"You mean that?" I asked her.

She breathed a sigh of obvious relief and hurried over to it. I followed her and stood beside it, my arms crossed.

"Umm… This is the part where we usually get _in_ the boat," she said. "You with me?"

"You first," I told her, nodding to it.

The vampire rolled her eyes, but got in first all the same. I climbed in after her.

It took us a while to get across the water to the island that the castle rested on. The mist was so thick I could barely see a thing. As we got closer, though, I swore I saw the outlines of dark birds swooping around the turrets above. When we finally reached the island's beach, I tied the boat off at the mooring there and hopped out, looking up. A rocky trail led up to the castle's entrance.

Serana grabbed my arm, stopping me. "Hey. So, before we go in there…"

I looked back to see her glowing eyes lowered as if she was nervous.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I wanted to thank you for getting me this far. But, after we get in there…" She took a deep breath. "… I'm going to go my own way for a while. I _think_. I know your friends would probably want to kill everything in here. I'm hoping you can show some more control than that. Once we're inside, just keep quiet. Let me take the lead."

"Fine."

As we walked up to the castle, I heard someone shout, "Lady Serana's back! Open the gate!"

I stepped in first. The entry room of the castle was gloomy and cold, but firelight seeped in from a doorway on the other side. I pulled down my hood and was about to take another step, when an Altmer clad entirely in black stepped from the shadows to block my path.

"How dare you trespass here?" Any threats that he'd been about to throw my way abruptly died when his gaze fixed on something over my shoulder. "Wait… Serana? Is that truly you? I cannot believe my eyes."

He raced through the doorway, and I heard him call out, "My Lord, everyone, Serana has returned!"

"I guess I'm expected," Serana said as she stepped out from behind me and took the lead.

I followed her through the doorway and onto a landing overlooking the great hall. Two long banquet tables were step up parallel to each other in the middle of the floor. Vampires sat around them, draining blood from groaning victims that lay prone on the tops. I wrinkled my nose, but still held my tongue. There were a _lot_ of them and only one of me. At the other end of the room was a throne. The dark haired man sitting in it rose as we walked down the stairs to the room's floor.

"My long lost daughter returns at last," he said in a voice that was cold and bitter as the wind off the Sea of Ghosts. "I trust you have my Elder Scroll?"

"After all these years, that's the first thing you ask me? Yes, I have the scroll."

A murmur went up around the chamber as the vampires all looked up in amazement. Blood dripped from many of their mouths.

The man laughed. "Of course I am delighted to see you, my daughter. Must I really say the words aloud?" I frowned. "Ah, if only your traitor mother were here. I would let her watch this reunion before putting her head on a spike. Now tell me, who is this stranger you have brought into our hall?"

"This is my savior, the one who freed me." Serana said as she gave me a small smile. I couldn't really return it. There was a prickling feeling down the back of my neck that told me I needed to get out as soon as possible.

Before I could move, Serana's father stepped forward and looked me over with a wary gaze. "For my daughter's safe return, you have my gratitude. Tell me, what is your name?"

"You first."

He sneered. "Very well. I am Harkon, lord of this court. By now, my daughter will have told you what we are."

I looked around at the hungry amber eyes, the plates of bloody bones that covered the tables, the victims slowly being drained of their lifeblood. "Yes. You're vampires."

"Not _just_ vampires." Harkon actually sounded offended. "We are among the oldest and most powerful vampires in Skyrim." He started to pace, gesturing about the hall. I never took my eyes off him for even a second. "For centuries we lived here, far from the cares of the world. All that ended when my wife betrayed me and stole away that which I valued most."

I had a feeling that he didn't mean his daughter.

"What happens now?" I asked.

He gave me a serpentine smile. "You have done me a great service, and now you must be rewarded. There is but one gift I can give that is equal in value to the Elder Scroll and my daughter. I offer you my blood. Take it, and you will walk as a lion among sheep. Men will tremble at your approach, and you will never fear death again."

I was thoroughly _not_ impressed at his offer. Fear death? Me? I didn't think so.

"And if I refuse this… gift?"

His glowing amber eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms. "Then you will be prey, like all mortals. I will spare your life this once, but you will be banished from this hall."

I crossed my arms as well. Prey? Fine by me.

"Perhaps you still need convincing." He laughed. "Behold the power!"

He doubled over, growling. His skin tore and blood seeped out from the rips. Black smoke rose from him. There was an explosion as he finally tore free. I jumped back in alarm, staring at the hideous creature that stood before me. It was taller than a man, with enormous leather wings and claws nearly as long as my hands. Its skin was a pale, sickly blue color. A twisted golden crown was woven into its pale hair. It looked up at me, and its eyes were blacker than midnight.

"This is the power that I offer," the monster said with Harkon's voice. "Now, make your choice."

I glared at him and said, "I don't want your "gift.""

"So be it." He rose into the air, held aloft by his wings, and lifted a clawed hand towards me. "I banish you!"

For a moment I was weightless, caught in black smoke. Then I felt solid ground beneath my feet again. I coughed, trying to rid myself of the bitter aftertaste of banishment. Shaking my head to clear it, I looked around. I was back on the beach outside the castle, staring at that stupid little boat.

Turning, I yelled back at the imposing towers, "The least you could have done was drop me off on the _other side!_ "

I shook my head again, muttering angrily, and climbed into the boat. It was going to be a _long_ way home.

* * *

I shouldered open the door to Breezehome, rubbing my forehead. It was good to finally be home, thank the Nine.

The moment I stepped through the doorway, Ma got up from where she'd been sitting in one of the chairs by the fire and hurried forward, pulling me into a hug and kissing my cheek.

"Where were you, darling?" She asked me. "I was starting to get worried."

Over her shoulder, I saw Da sitting in the other chair, the back of it visible through his ghostly form. There was a smirk visible on his bearded face as he watched me. I rolled my eyes in response.

"I'm fine, Ma," I told her. "I just got caught up helping some vampire hunters."

" _Vampire_ –?"

At that moment, there was a thunderous noise on the stairs as Lucia hurried down. I stepped away from Ma and hung my bow, quiver, and sword on the rack by the door like I always did. Reaching, into a pocket, I pulled out a small purse that clinked as I handed it over to the girl.

"Now remember what I said, and don't spend it all in one place," I told her. "Especially if that place happens to be Markarth again. And don't think I won't find out."

She grinned sheepishly. "I know, Mara. Thanks."

As she scurried off again, I laughed quietly. I didn't know what that girl did most of the time, but she was off almost constantly.

"Now, lass, what was that you were saying about vampires?" Da cut in.

I blinked and shook my head. "Right. I was just doing some work with this group of vampire hunters that call themselves the Dawnguard. They needed someone to go into some old ruins to see what the vampires were looking for there, so I agreed to go in for them. I'm not one of them, but they looked like they needed all the help they could get."

"But… _vampires?_ " Ma's gray eyes went wide.

"Ma, I track down rogue dragons for a living. How is this any more dangerous?" I asked her, crossing my arms.

"Dragons don't spread porphyric hemophilia," she pointed out.

"I've been taking precautions."

"Have you?"

I sighed at her worried frown. "If it hadn't worked, I'd be a vampire by now. I'm fine. Trust me."

"I do trust you, darling. It's them that make me nervous."

"Well, what else can I do? They need to be dealt with," I told her with a shrug. Glancing around, I asked, "Where's Lydia?"

"She was doing work for her uncle up at Dragonsreach. I think she mentioned going to the Bannered Mare afterward."

I rolled my eyes. Sometimes I wondered whether she was actually _my_ Housecarl, with the number of times Balgruuf called her back to the palace. I went back and opened the door before looking back over my shoulder at my parents.

"I'll go out and meet her. Don't wait up for me."


	6. Chapter 6: Memory

The Bannered Mare was packed when I stepped into the inn. People sat on the benches around the fire at the center, talking and laughing with one another. I could barely hear Mikael's flute over all the noise. The Greymanes and Battle-Borns present glared at each other. Hopefully, with the Civil War ended, that particular rivalry would eventually die off as well.

I'd barely made it a few steps past the threshold when I heard a voice call out from nearby, "You look like someone who can hold their liquor. How about a friendly contest to win a staff?"

The voice sounded somehow familiar. Looking around, I saw a weedy little Breton sitting alone at a nearby table. His brown hair was lank, his eyes bloodshot. He didn't look familiar, but the voice… Maybe I was mistaken.

I frowned. "What was that?"

"You're the Mara everyone's talking about, right?" He asked me. "The Dragonborn one? The name's Sam. Just wanted to see if you were as tough as everyone says."

He must have been several inches shorter than I was and had no muscle tone whatsoever. Honestly, he looked like a strong breeze could carry him away.

I let out a snort of disbelief and took the empty chair across from him. "With a drinking contest? You don't stand a chance."

"We'll see about that," he said, laughing. Grabbing the bottle sitting beside him, he uncorked it and poured into two mugs. "This is a special brew. _Very_ strong stuff. I'll start round one. Down the hatch!"

He drained the contents. There wasn't even the slightest of reactions from him. Strong? Right.

"Your turn." He pushed the other mug toward me.

I smirked. "Here we go."

Grabbing it, I downed the contents. It burned more than Sujamma ever did. I shuddered. Damn, what was that stuff _made_ from?

"One down, my friend. One down. And another one for me." He grabbed the mugs and poured a second round. After gulping his down, he watched me intently. "And how about you?"

"Easy enough."

After the second, my head started to feel… fuzzy. Strange. I normally held better than that…

"So says you. I think I've hit my limit on these things. Tell you what, one more and you win the contest."

If only to wipe that smug look off his face? I'd do it.

"One more?" I snorted and shook my head. "No problem."

I snatched the last mug of the stuff that he offered and downed it, slamming the empty cup on the table. He stared at me, his bloodshot eyes wide with astonishment.

"Wow. You've really done it. The staff is yours."

My satisfaction at my victory was only temporary. My head was spinning worse than before. Everything in the inn slowly became brighter and blurrier. Shapes merged together. Bad sign. _Very_ bad sign.

"You know," Sam commented, "You're a fun person to drink with. I know this great little place where the wine flows like water. We should head there!"

I shook my head. Bad idea. The room spun.

"I don't–"

"Hey, you don't look so good…"

* * *

"Wake up!"

I came to with a bucket of water being dumped over my face. When I opened my eyes, I immediately regretted it. Everything was far too bright. My head pounded like someone was striking it was a hammer. I squinted up to see a woman in the garb of a priestess standing over me.

"That's right," she snapped, "it's time to wake up, you drunken blasphemer!"

 _Blasph–_

"What?" I asked hoarsely.

She gave me a look of disdain. "I see. So you _don't_ remember fondling the statuary, then? I'm guessing you also don't remember coming in here and blathering incoherently about marriage or a goat. Which means you don't remember losing your temper and throwing trash all over the temple."

I glanced around. I sat on the floor of a stone room. An altar sat in the middle and statues of the goddess Dibella lined the walls. A knot twisted in my stomach as the priestess's words finally sunk in. Oh sweet Divines, had I–?

My fists clenched. That little s'wit of a Breton. When I found him, I'd wring his scrawny neck.

"Was a man named Sam with me?" I growled.

"Dibella teaches love and compassion, but that doesn't mean we're just going to tell you what you want to know and let you walk away from this."

"I wasn't planning on it." I checked my purse and found it still intact. Thank the Divines. I got to my feet, wincing, and handed it to her. "Look, I don't know what I did or how I got here, but I'll clean all this up and pay for whatever damages I caused."

The priestess checked the contents. "There's more here than…"

"Take it. It's compensation for what I did."

"We can always use contributions…" she murmured. Shaking her head, she told me, "You were ranting when you got here, but most of it was slurred. You did say something about Rorikstead. Maybe you should take a look there."

"Thank you. So much."

The temple doors burst open and I cringed as the sound made my head pound worse. Eyes watering, I turned to see Lydia standing in the doorway. Her face was flushed and she was breathing hard, as if she'd been running for some time.

"Mara," she gasped. "Thank the gods."

"What are you doing here?"

"Something was wrong, so I followed you." She hesitated. "And Juliana's worried about you."

I groaned. Of course.

"I still need to clean up this mess," I told her. "Help me with it, would you? My head feels like it's about to explode."

She nodded and together we scoured the temple for the trash the priestess mentioned. The empty wine bottles weren't a surprise. The Giant toes and what looked like raven feathers, however…

"Where are we, anyway?" I asked her.

"Markarth."

"Marka– _I'll kill that little s'wit!_ "

Lydia put a hand on my shoulder. "Mara, what happened?"

"I was drugged, or… or _something._ I don't remember." It was all too fuzzy. The priestess said something about Rorikstead. If it was anything like what happened in the temple… "We need to figure out exactly what he made me do."

* * *

Lydia and I had barely set foot in the village when a man ran toward us, angrily brandishing a sickle. I took a hasty step back.

"You! You've got a lot of nerve showing yourself in this town again. What do you have to say for yourself?" He shouted.

Lydia glanced over at me. "Another person you managed to piss off?"

"Shut up," I hissed. To the man, I said, "I have no idea what you're talking about, so could you please explain? Slowly?"

He let out an exasperated breath. "Does the name Gleda ring a bell? The star beauty of my farm? Kidnapped by a drunk and sold to a Giant? You'd better remember her right fast, before I call the guards and have you hauled away."

"Listen here, you," Lydia snapped, but I hastily cut her off.

"Did I say anything about where I left a staff?"

"You mentioned something like that… when you were running off with my goat! Tell you what – you bring back my goat, and maybe I'll give a damn about your staff."

I dragged Lydia away down the street. Once we were out of earshot, she asked me, "Nothing's ever easy with you, is it?"

"I wish it was, believe me. Now, we just need to find a giant and a goat."

It didn't take as long as I'd expected. We hiked out through the hills just to the south of the village and there he was. The Giant held his massive club, which was slung over his shoulders, with one hand. The other hand held onto a leash. At the end of it was a goat. The "Gleda" the farmer spoke of, I was reasonably sure.

"There she is," I murmured to Lydia. "I'm going to try to get her away from him."

" _Be careful_ ," she hissed as I hurried away.

Staying as quiet as I could, I edged around the Giant toward the goat. Crouching down beside her, I undid the leash. She chose that moment to let out a loud bleat and the Giant swung his head around to look down at me. My heart pounded.

"Mara, get out of there!" Lydia yelled, running toward me.

I jumped aside to avoid the club he swung at me, hitting the ground.

"Grab the goat!" I shouted.

I saw her skirt around the angry Giant and snatch Gleda up into her arms. She took off with the goat, quickly vanishing from sight. Once she was gone the Giant rounded on me again, roaring with fury.

" _Yol toor shul!_ " I Shouted.

The Giant staggered back, shaking his head as my flames scorched his face. He dropped his club and tripped over a boulder behind him, falling with a loud _boom_ that shook the hillside. Hastily getting to my feet, I ran toward him and drew my sword. Standing over his head, I plunged the blade into one of his eyes. He twitched for a moment. Then he was still. I stepped back, breathing hard.

"That went well," Lydia commented, popping out from behind a nearby outcropping of rock. She was still holding Gleda.

"Please. It could have gone so much worse. Let's just get her back to her owner."

We headed back down to where the farmer waited for us. He still looked like he wanted to cut me open with his sickle, but his face lit up with Lydia set the goat down in front of him. He knelt, checking her all over.

"Gleda! And not a scratch on her! Happy day!" He looked up at me. "I still can't figure out why you stole her."

I sighed. "I wish I had an answer to give you, believe me."

"You left a note explaining it, but half of it was gibberish and the rest had mead spilled on it."

Sam had to have drugged me, for me to drink _mead._

The farmer scratched his head thoughtfully. "Only bit I could make out was "repaying Ysolda in Whiterun," and even that's mostly scribbles. Guess you could try there."

* * *

"Mara!"

I gave Ma a weak smile as she ran out the front door of the house. She pulled me toward her and checked me all over.

"I was so worried!" She said, frantic. "Where did you go? What happened?"

"I wish I knew, Ma," I sighed. "I'm still trying to figure that out."

She led me back into the house and I let her, Lydia followed close behind. The moment I stepped inside, Da hurried forward as well. Before he could ask me anything, I shook my head and told him, "I don't remember what happened. I think I'm in over my head, but I'm not sure in what."

"Oh, lass. You always did like to get in trouble."

I let out a rueful laugh and broke away from them. Hurrying up the stairs, I called back down, "I can't stay. I need to fix this."

In my room, I quickly opened the box I'd stashed my drakes in and pulled some out. I'd written that I needed to pay back Ysolda for something. I didn't remember what I'd tried to buy from her, but it was probably expensive. Damn that man to Oblivion.

I stopped as I rushed out of the house and said to Lydia, "Stay here. Take care of everyone. I'll handle this by myself from here."

Ma stepped around the Housecarl, her gray eyes wide. "Mara…"

"It's all right, Ma. I started this mess, so I'm the one who has to fix it."

I gave her a swift kiss on the cheek and raced down the street.

The moment I stepped into Whiterun's market, I caught sight of Ysolda. She stood by Carlotta Valentia's stall. The basket that hung over her arm was filled with produce. When she noticed me hurrying toward her she turned to face me and put her free hand on her hip.

"So, you're finally back. Look, I've been patient, but you still owe me," she said.

I opened my purse. "Right. How much?"

"It's not about the money, really," she sighed, tucking a strand of her short red hair behind her ear. "I wouldn't have given you the wedding ring on credit if you weren't so obviously in love. But if there isn't going to be a wedding, the least you can do is give the ring back. That was one of my best pieces."

I'd had no ring on me when I came to in the temple. "Do you have any idea what I did with it?"

"You went right out to give it to your fiancée! Don't you even remember where you left her?"

Wedding. Fiancée. _Mine_.

"I… _What?_ " I spluttered.

Ysolda rolled her eyes. "How could you forget? It was the sweetest story I'd ever heard. You met at the full moon, under the biggest tree in Witchmist Grove, surrounded by fireflies. It was straight out of a storybook."

My head swam. Whatever had actually happened, I swore that Breton was going to pay for it.

"I'll get you that ring back," I told her, "but let me pay you for the trouble."

"You don't–"

"We're friends, Ysolda. Pulling you into this wasn't fair. I'm paying what I owe you for that ring."

I handed her the coins that I'd grabbed from the house. She took it with a disappointed sigh.

"I don't know much about Morvunskar, but it sounded like a lovely place for the ceremony. It's a shame you won't be going through with it. I know how excited you were for the wedding. It sounded like you really loved her a lot."

I took a deep breath and told her in as even a voice as I could manage, "I've only been in love once, and he's been dead for years."

* * *

I'd managed to pull some poor woman into the mess as well, so I decided to head to Witchmist Grove first. True to its name, heavy mist hung between the dark trees as I made my way through the woods.

Through the shadows a house finally appeared. My relief was, however, short-lived, as I quickly noticed the fence of sharpened wooden poles surrounding the building. Blood coated the tops of most of them, and a couple even had goat or skeever heads stuck on. I shuddered. What kind of person even lived in a place like that?

As I passed through into the yard, a figure stepped out of the shack's darkened doorway. She was withered, hunchbacked, and garbed in tattered rags. Clawed, bird-like feet clicked on the stairs and she made her way down toward me. Her lank black hair hung in greasy strands around a pointed, sallow face. She grinned at me, revealing razor-sharp teeth. Several seemed to be missing.

"Darling!" The hagraven cried, her voice rasping. "I've been waiting for you to return, to consummate our love."

Divines preserve me.

I drew my sword, keeping her at bay, and snapped, "Where's the ring?"

"What?" She snapped, her beady eyes narrowing. "You want it for that hussy Esmerelda, with the dark feathers – don't you? I won't let her have you."

Before the witch could do anything more than snarl, I stabbed her. She shrieked angrily and fell to the ground, twitching. When she was still, I knelt down beside her. The smell of blood and rotting meat that saturated her nearly made me gag. Holding my breath, I searched the body for the ring. I found it clenched tightly in one boney, clawed hand. I tugged it free and pocketed it. Getting back to my feet, I wiped off my hands.

The "Morvunskar" Ysolda mentioned was an old ruin nearby. I hiked out to it from Witchmist Grove. Even though it was late, I couldn't stay there. The shack also smelled to Aetherius, filled with greasy black feathers. Besides, the mysterious Sam had a _lot_ to answer for. I intended to make him pay for every bit of grief he'd put me through.

When I arrived, the fort looked abandoned. I crept in, feeling cautious. Surely there should have been bandits or something in residence? As I made my way through the empty halls, I saw nothing. There was no sign of anyone at all. Hadn't Ysolda said that I told her the wedding would be there? Where was everyone?

As I climbed a set of stairs leading deeper into the ruin, the air around me flared with blue light, blinding me. A sudden wind whipped loose strands of hair across my face. When the wind died and everything stopped spinning I blinked and looked around.

I stood on a lantern-lit path leading through a grove. The trees on either side had golden leaves. Mist swirled through the air as I walked, making everything hazy. I crossed a stone bridge that crossed a gurgling stream. Everything not directly touched by the warm glow of the light from the lanterns had a strange blueish-green hue. Where was I?

The path ended in a little hollow. Strings of lanterns hung from the trees overhead. A table rested in the very center of the place. A number of people sat around it, all of them drinking. A weedy little Breton man stood at the table. He spoke loudly, gestured wildly, and their laughter drowned out his words.

I stormed toward him, but Sam just looked up at me with a wide grin.

"You're here! I was beginning to think you might not make it."

"I'll make you wish I hadn't," I snarled.

He _tsk_ ed loudly. "I let you have all that fun again, and you still have to act so uptight. You're so ungrateful."

That was when it hit me why his voice sounded familiar.

" _Sanguine!_ "

There was a flash of rose-red light and he reverted back to his normal form.

"Ta-da," he said, arms spread wide and still grinning. "Now, what's the problem, Mara? Didn't you have fun on your escapades? See, I even found somebody special for you!"

"She was a _hagraven!_ " I spat.

He waved a hand dismissively. "Picky, picky. You seemed so sad that you never got to marry your prince, so I thought I'd take your mind off of that. Shame the old dragon had more of a claim to Marty's soul in the end than I did. If he hadn't, you could have–"

I ran at him, not even bothering to draw a weapon. I'd tear the s'wit apart with my bare hands! How _dare_ he talk about Martin like that!

The Daedric Prince's black eyes widened in what almost looked like fear and he raised his hands.

The next thing I knew I was standing alone in an empty field, choking on the smoke from the banishment. I really, _really_ hated that feeling. Looking around, eyes watering, I saw Whiterun nearby. In my hands, I held a familiar wooden staff carved to look like a rose. My jaw clenched at the sight of it.

"Really?" I shouted at the sky. "You think you can just toy with me and dump me out here with _this_ again? To Oblivion with that!"

I snapped the Rose in half over my knee. It made a little _shriek_ as it split and the pieces quickly disappeared in a puff of red smoke.


	7. Chapter 7: Recruitment

When I returned to Fort Dawnguard, it was to the sound of clashing blades and shouting voices. I raced up the hill, drawing my bow. As I reached the top, I saw several members of the Dawnguard fighting off cloaked vampires by the front doors. I shot one of them in the back. Another hissed and ran toward me. Dodging her blade, I grabbed hold of her hood and tugged it down. When she shrieked at the sunlight hitting her face, I stabbed her in the throat with an arrow. The vampire fell, gurgling, and I hurried toward the front steps of the fortress.

"Look at this," Isran growled. Vampire blood dripped from the head of his warhammer. "I should've known it was only a matter of time before they found us. It's the price we pay for openly recruiting. We'll have to step up our defenses. I don't suppose you have some good news for me."

"I have news, but I wouldn't call it good," I said with a sigh, crossing my arms.

"Of course, he grumbled. "Why did I suppose differently? Fine. Tell me what you know."

"I found what the vampires were looking for. There was a woman trapped in Dimhollow."

"A woman? Trapped in _there?_ That doesn't make any sense. Who is she? More importantly, _where_ is she?" He asked.

"She's the daughter of a powerful vampire lord."

"And so you delivered her to them."

"That's not even the bad part," I said. "The bad part is that they have an Elder Scroll."

"They what? And you didn't stop them? You didn't secure the scroll?" He barked.

"There were a lot of them and only one of me," I snapped back. "There was _nothing_ I could do!"

"So they have everything they wanted, and we're left with nothing. By the Divines, this couldn't get much worse. This is more than you and I can handle."

"So, what, you're just going to give up?"

He gave me a sharp look. "When did I say that? We just need… We need help. If they're bold enough to attack us here, then this may be bigger than I thought. I have good men here, but…" He hesitated and sighed, "There are people I've met and worked with over the years. We need their skills, their talents, if we're going to survive this. If you can find them, we might have a chance."

"Right. Where am I going and who am I looking for?"

"Right to the point, aren't you? I like that. Not like those fools in the order." He rubbed his bald head, thinking. "We should keep it small. Too many people, and we'll draw unwanted attention to ourselves. I think we'll want Sorine Jurard. Breton girl, whip-smart and good with tinkering. Fascination with the Dwemer. Weapons in particular. Last I knew, she was out in the Reach, convinced she was about to find the biggest dwarven ruins yet."

I considered it. "So she'll help us?"

"Might need a little convincing, but she should. You'll also want to find Gunmar. Big brute of a Nord, hates vampires almost as much as I do. Got it into his head a few years back that his experience with animals would help. Trolls in particular, from what I hear. Last I heard he was out scouring Skyrim for more beasts to tame."

"Find Sorine and Gunmar," I said. "Got it."

"Bring the two of them back here, and we can get started on coming up with a plan."

* * *

It took asking around Markarth and trekking through the Rift to finally track down Sorine Jurard. Not many people had seen her, and the few that had directed me some way north of the city. Just on the other side of a river running eastward, I found a hillside dotted with sparse Dwemer ruins. It was little more than some half-buried rubble and a broken column edged with the strange Dwemer metal they were so famous for. A woman stood among them, alone. She was a Breton, garbed in light leather armor. She ran her fingers through her chin-length auburn hair as she looked around anxiously.

"Just one gyro," she muttered. "One, and I can get back to work. Where are they?"

When I cleared my throat, she didn't even glance in my direction.

"You haven't seen a sack full of dwarven gyros lying around, have you?" She asked me absently. "I'd swear I left it right here. Do you think mudcrabs might've taken it? I saw one the other day… Wouldn't be surprised if it followed me here. Just look around, will you?"

I sighed. "You're Sorine Jurard, I presume. Isran wants you."

She stopped her frantic searching and looked up at me with a frown.

"Isran? Wants me? No, you must be mistaken. He made it exceedingly clear the last time we spoke that he had no interest in my help. I find it hard to believe he's changed his mind. He said some very hurtful things to me before I left."

Knowing him, I couldn't say I was surprised.

She got to her feet and dusted her dirt-covered hands off on her breeches. "Anyway, I'm quite happy in my current pursuits. So if you'll excuse me…"

"Vampires threaten Skyrim, and Isran seemed to think that you could help."

"Vampires? Really?" She huffed. "Oh, and I suppose _now_ he remembers that I proposed no less than three different scenarios that involved vampires overrunning the population. Well, what are they up to?"

"They have an Elder Scroll," I told her.

She blinked. "Well, that's actually something I never would've anticipated. Interesting. I'm not sure what they would do with one, but in this case Isran is probably correct in thinking it isn't good."

She chewed on her lip for a moment before nodding and saying, "All right. If nothing else, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to learn more about what's going on so I can better defend myself. But I'm not just going to abandon what I've been working on here. It's too useful. I need at least one intact dwarven gyro. So either I need to find the satchel those mudcrabs stole, or I need another gyro from someplace. You wouldn't happen to have one, would you?"

"No, I don't."

She shrugged. "Well then, I'm very sorry, but I just can't walk away from this project yet. Believe me, this is useful stuff."

Shaking my head, I walked down toward the riverbank. If mudcrabs _had_ stolen her satchel as she'd claimed, they would have tried to drag it down there. Walking down the bank, I soon saw a leather bag lying half-submerged in the mud. Sorine's satchel, I was sure. When I stepped up to it, a mudcrab rose from the muck, clicking its pincers and hissing. I rolled my eyes.

"You've got to be joking."

Drawing my sword, I jammed the blade down through the pest's shell. It shrieked, twitched, and fell still. Putting a boot on its back, I wrenched my blade out. After quickly wiping it off, I sheathed it and crouched down beside the bag. I undid the clasp and checked inside. Sure enough, I saw several small Dwemer devices that I recognized as gyros. I'd handled enough of them in Balmora. Pulling the bag up out of the mud, I carried it back up the bank.

"Hey! This what you're looking for?" I called, holding it up.

Sorine turned quickly at my voice and hurried over to grab it. "You found it! Thank you so much. This will help a great deal with some things I've been researching. Now where is it Isran expects me to go?"

"He's set up at Fort Dawnguard."

She smirked. "Ah. Been working more on his secret hideout, has he? It'll be interesting to see how much progress he's made. I'll finish up here and head in that direction soon as I can. See you there."

* * *

Gunmar was somewhat easier to find. Rumors around Riften led me to a cave deep in the woods to the southwest.

The sun was setting as I approached. I looked around the entrance. There was no sign of anyone. Frowning, I made to step inside.

That was when I heard the sound of hurried footsteps and a voice hissing, "You there! Hold fast!"

I turned to see a burly Nord beckoning me back. Frowning, I walked over to him.

"I've tracked this damned bear for two weeks; I'll not let it have any more victims," he said.

In the cave, I realized. Ah.

"Are you Gunmar?" I asked him. When he nodded, I told him, "Isran needs your help."

"Isran? Needing someone else's help?" He snorted. "Never thought I'd hear _that_. I'm afraid he's a few years too late. I've moved on. I have more important business to attend to. Besides, he can handle anything alone. He assured me so himself. What could he possibly need my help with?"

"Vampires."

"Vampires? That…" He hesitated. "Well, that might change things. Tell me more about what's going on."

"There's not much to go on yet, but they have an Elder Scroll."

"By the Eight…"

Nine.

Gunmar shook his head. "All right, look. I'll consider it, but I can't just leave this bear to prey on more innocent people. Once it's dealt with, then perhaps I'll see what Isran expects of me."

"Fine. Let's go."

I followed him through the mouth of the cave. Crouching in the shadows, the Nord indicated I should wait. I nodded, but nocked an arrow. Ahead, I saw a massive brown-furred bear asleep near one end of the cave. I swore I'd seen dragons that were smaller.

Gunmar crept up to the animal and I hung back, ready to shoot. Despite his near-silent footfalls, the bear's ear still twitched. It rose with an angry growl. Gunmar raised his mace, but it reared on its hind legs and swung a massive paw at him. The blow caught him in the chest and he fell with a pained gasp. When the bear roared, prepared to strike again, my arrow stuck in the roof of its mouth. It fell to the side with a loud _thud._ Once I was sure it was dead, I hurried over.

Gunmar sat up and examined the cuts on his chest from the bear's claws. I knelt down and looked at them as well. They didn't seem deep, but…

"Do you want me to fix those?" I asked him.

He shook his head and waved it off. "No, I'll be fine. Don't know how well I'd have managed by myself, though. You have my thanks."

"Not a problem."

"You've helped me, so I suppose the least I can do is find out what Isran wants. He's still at that fort near Stendarr's Beacon, I assume?"

I frowned. "How did you know that?"

Gunmar chuckled. "If Isran is anything, he's stubborn. He's been working on that place for years now. Never lets anyone in. His own little fortress. Well, I guess I'll get to see what he's been up to all this time."

"Good. Let's go."

* * *

I arrived at Fort Dawnguard with Gunmar in tow to find Sorine had already made it and was waiting outside.

"Sorine," The Nord said, nodding to her.

She nodded back. "Gunmar."

"All right, you can catch up later," I told them. "Let's get inside."

I followed the two of them into the fortress. The moment we stepped into the central chamber I heard a loud grinding sound from somewhere nearby. Looking around, I saw barred iron gates rise from the floor to block off the doorways leading into other parts of the keep. Above, Isran leaned against the railing on the next floor up, watching us intently.

"All right, Isran," Gunmar shouted up at him. "You've got us here. Now what do you want?"

"Hold it right there," the Redguard shouted back.

An instant later a blindingly bright light filled the chamber.

"What are you doing?" Sorine called.

The light died. I blinked to clear my eyes and saw the gates slide back down again.

"Making sure you're not vampires. Can't be too careful," Isran called down. "So, welcome to Fort Dawnguard. I'm sure you've heard a bit of what we're up against. Powerful vampires, unlike anything we've seen before. And they have an Elder Scroll. If anyone is going to stand in their way, it's going to be us."

"This is all well and good, but do we actually know anything about what they're doing? What do we do now?" Sorine asked.

"We'll get to that," Isran said. "For now, get acquainted with the space. Sorine, you'll find room to start tinkering on that crossbow design you've been working on. Gunmar, there's an area large enough for you to pen up some trolls. Get them armored up and ready for use. In the meantime, we're going to get to the bottom of why a vampire showed up here looking for you."

He was pointing right at me.

I blinked. "What?"

"You heard me. Now, let's go have a little _chat_ with it, shall we?"

While the other two made their way deeper into the fortress, I hurried up the nearby flight of stairs to where Isran waited. He nodded to me, and I followed him down a hallway and around the corner.

The metallic tang of blood filled my nose as we stepped into what looked an awful lot like a torture room. Bloody tools and bones littered the shelves and the floor below. There were manacles on one of the walls and a rack in the corner. Lovely place.

Sitting on the ledge that ran around the edge of the small room, looking _very_ uncomfortable, was…

"Serana?" I asked, shocked.

"This vampire showed up while you were away." Isran said in a disgusted tone. "I'm guessing it's the one you found in Dimhollow Crypt. Says it's got something really important to say to you. So let's hear it." He finished with a glare at the woman.

Serana ignored the vampire hunter, instead looking at me with a smirk. "You probably weren't expecting to see me again."

"Uh, no. What are you doing here?"

"I'd rather not be here either, but I needed to talk to you," she said, getting to her feet. "It's important, so please just listen before your friend here loses his patience." Isran growled and I gave him a pointed look. "It's… well, it's about me. And the Elder Scroll that was buried with me."

"Okay. What about you?"

"The reason I was down there… and why I had the Elder Scroll… it all comes back to my father. I'm guessing you've figured this part out already, but my father's not exactly a good person. Even by vampire standards."

No surprise there.

"He wasn't always like that, though. There was… a turn," she told me with a sigh. "He stumbled onto this obscure prophecy and just kind of lost himself in it."

"What kind of prophecy?" I asked, crossing my arms. I'd dealt with enough of them to know that they rarely meant anything good.

She shrugged. "It's pointless and vague, like all prophecies. The part he latched onto said that vampires would no longer fear the sun. _That's_ what he's after. He wants to control the sun, have vampires control the world. Anyway, my mother and I didn't feel like inviting a war with all of Tamriel, so we tried to stop him. That's why I was sealed away with the scroll."

I felt Isran's energy change. The longer Serana was there, the more dangerous it became for her. Honestly, I was admiring the man's self-restraint by that point. He looked like he wanted nothing more in the world than to strap her into that rack and tear her throat out.

"You took a big risk coming here," I told her quietly.

"I did, but something about you makes me think I can trust you. I hope I'm not wrong."

I sighed. Really, by that point I should have just expected that I would have to play hero. "No, you're right. We just need to convince everyone _else_ you're on our side. And that's not exactly going to be easy."

"Well, let's move then. I'm nothing if not persuasive."

I chuckled and shook my head. At least someone was feeling like being humorous in that place.

When I finally turned to Isran, he looked as if his head was about to explode.

"All right, you've heard what it has to say," he growled. "Now tell me: is there any reason I shouldn't kill this bloodsucking fiend right now?"

Rolling my eyes, I said, "Set aside your hatred for a minute and try to look at the bigger picture, Isran."

"Set my hatred aside? Not a chance. It's what keeps me strong."

"You don't trust her? Fine. Trust _me_. I believe her."

"You'd better know what you're doing," he told me with a scowl.

"I've been playing this game for too long not to know."

"Fine. It can stay for now, but if it so much as lays a finger on anyone in here, I'll hold you responsible. Got it?"

I gave him a mock salute.

"You hear me?" He said to Serana. "Don't feel like a guest, because you're not. You're a resource. You're an asset. In the meantime, don't make me regret my sudden outburst of tolerance and generosity, because if you do, your friend here is going to pay for it."

With the sweetest smile, she replied, "Thank you for your kindness. I'll remember it the next time I'm feeling hungry."

He snarled and cursed under his breath. I bit back laughter. I wasn't worried about his threats. There wasn't much he could do to me.

Serana cleared her throat. "So, in case you didn't notice the giant thing on my back, I have the Elder Scroll with me. Whatever it says, it will have something that can help us stop my father. But, of course, neither of us can read it."

"So, who can?" I asked her.

"Well, the Moth Priests are the only ones I've heard of who can do it. They spend years preparing before they start reading, though. Not that it helps us anyway, because they're all half a continent away in Cyrodiil."

"Some Imperial scholar arrived in Skyrim a few days ago," Isran cut in. "I was staking out the road when I saw him pass by. Maybe that's your Moth Priest."

"Do you know where he's staying now?" Serana asked him.

"No," he scoffed, "and I'm not going to waste men looking. We're fighting a war against your kind, and I intend to win it. You want to find him, you're on your own."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "And that's where I, as the outside party, step in. Right. Isran, go do… whatever."

He growled something unintelligible and stomped away.

"Any idea how we're going to find this Moth Priest?" The vampire asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Skyrim's a pretty big place."

"The thing we need to do is figure out where one might actually go."

"Well, back before I… you know, the College of Winterhold was the first place I'd think to go for any kind of magic or historical thing. The wizards know about all kinds of things that people probably shouldn't know about."

"Right. I'll check there first."

Before I could take more than two steps, I heard her call out, "Actually, now that I think of it… I'm going to come along with you."

I looked back over my shoulder at her. "Really?"

She shrugged. "I've been really wanting to get out and explore a bit."

"Fine." I nodded toward the hall. "Let's go."


	8. Chapter 8: Prophet

"What do you know about the Elder Scrolls?" I asked Serana as we stepped into the courtyard of the College of Winterhold.

She shrugged. "I mean… as much as anyone. Not a lot. You'd figure a couple hundred years locked away with one would have given me some insight, but no."

"Try a couple thousand," I murmured.

"What was that?"

"A couple _thousand_ years, Serana. Not hundred. Alessia founded the first Empire over four thousand years ago. If you were locked in there before that, well…"

She stopped and stared at me, seemingly shocked as what I'd told her really sunk in.

"I guess we'll just have to keep looking for that Moth Priest, then," I said.

She blinked. "I guess so. Let's get indoors. The sun is… It's not great for my skin, if you know what I mean."

Pushing the door open, I nodded inside. She stepped into the College's main hall and I led her up the stairs to the Arcaeneum. If there was any place a Moth Priest would go in the College, it would be there.

When we stepped up to the desk, Urag glanced up from his book.

"Well, well," he said in his gravelly voice. "Look who's back."

"I need to find a Moth Priest."

The Orc stared at me and set down his book. "A Moth Priest? What in Oblivion do you need a Moth Priest for? Is this about that Elder Scroll again?"

I crossed my arms and stared right back. "My business is my own. Just tell me what I need to know."

"Fine, fine," he said hastily. "No need to get your britches in a twist. The obvious answer is to go to the Imperial City. The Moth Priests make their home in the White Gold Tower. Sometimes they go out looking for Elder Scrolls. Lucky for you, there's a Moth Priest in Skyrim right now, doing just that. He stopped in to do some research in the library, then left for Dragon Bridge. If you hurry, you might catch him there."

* * *

It was dusk when we reached Dragon Bridge just over two weeks after leaving the College of Winterhold. A few people still milled about outside. I approached one of the houses where a woman was sweeping the porch.

"Do you know anything about a Moth Priest visiting Dragon Bridge?" I asked her.

She frowned. "A Moth Priest? I'm sorry, I don't know anything about that. Try asking one of the guards."

She pointed down the street to where a guard dressed in the red-accented armor of Haafingar Hold walked. Nodding to the woman, I hurried down the road toward him. He looked up at Serana and my approach.

"Know anything about a Moth Priest visiting Dragon Bridge?"

"Ah, so that was a Moth Priest, then? He rode through town not long ago with an escort of soldiers. They didn't stop, just headed south across the Dragon Bridge." He pointed to the bridge leading out of town decorated with stone dragon heads.

Hopefully we could still catch up and find him.

We left town across the bridge and headed south down the road. As we walked, I asked Serana, "Were you always a vampire?"

She sighed. "That's… a long story."

"I want to hear it."

"I guess… we kind of have to go way back. To the very beginning." She bit her lip. "Do you know where vampirism came from?"

"I would _guess_ it came from a Daedric Prince." It seemed like the kind of thing one of them would do.

"Exactly. The first vampire came from Molag Bal. She… was not a willing subject, but she was still the first. Molag Bal is a powerful Daedric Prince, and his will is made reality. For those willing to subjugate themselves, he will still bestow the gift, but they must be powerful in their own right before earning his trust."

With a feeling of foreboding, I asked, "How did you actually become a vampire, then?"

She grimaced. "The ceremony was… degrading. Let's not revisit that."

"I understand." I didn't particularly want to imagine what had been done to her.

"We all took part in it. Not really wholesome family activity, but I guess it's something you do when you give yourselves to a Daedric Prince."

"How did that… affect your family?"

"Well, you've met most of us. My father's not exactly the most stable, and eventually he drove my mother crazy with him. And it all ended with me being locked underground for who knows how long." She shrugged. "It's definitely been a bad thing, on the whole."

I glanced over at her. "Are you all right?"

"I will be. Just give me a little time."

Ahead I saw what looked like an overturned carriage. I ran toward it, an icy feeling of dread settling in my stomach. Divines, if it was the one we were looking for…

It had been an attack. That much was quickly clear. The bodies of soldiers lay around the carriage in pools of their own blood. The horse hadn't been spared, its flank marred with deep gashes. I didn't see any sign of a Moth Priest, though. He was gone, but where?

Nearby was a suit of tattered leather armor filled with black ashes. Vampires had attacked the carriage. Tucked into a fold of the armor, I saw a slip of parchment. Kneeling down, I pulled it out and read the contents.

 _I have new orders for you_

 _Prepare an ambush just south of the Dragon Bridge. Take the Moth Priest to Forebears' Holdout for safekeeping until I can break his will._

 _– Malkus_

"They got here before us," I growled, the paper crumpling in my hands.

Serana sighed and knelt down beside me. "Where did they take him?"

"A place called "Forebears' Holdout." We need to figure out where that is and rescue him before it's too late."

* * *

Asking around led us to a cave to the southeast. At the back of the cavern were some old ruins. From somewhere within them, I saw a bright, bluish-green light. Holding a finger to my lips for quiet, I led Serana back to them.

Stopping at the edge of an archway leading through the wall, I peered around the corner. A vampire thrall stood guard on the stairs just on the other side leading up to where I saw the light. I drew back an arrow and fired. He tumbled down the steps and his own bow clattered away. Stepping over the body, we climbed to the upper level. I held up a hand for her to wait and we crouched in the shadows at the top, watching the scene before us.

At the center of the space was a ring of standing stones etched with glowing designs. A swirling vortex of light surrounded them. That's what I'd seen from below. In the middle of the ring, a blurry figure lay huddled on its side. Outside the ring stood three vampires. The two women hung back in the shadows, while the orc stood just at the vortex's edge.

"The more you fight me, the more you will suffer, mortal," he growled at the prone figure.

Through the barrier, I heard another, fainter voice. "I will resist you, monster. I must!"

"How much longer can you keep this up, Moth Priest? Your mind was strong, but you're exhausted from the struggle."

"Must… _resist_ …"

"Yes, I can feel your defenses crumbling. You want it to end. You want to give in to me. Now, acknowledge me as your master."

There was a long silence. Then, "Yes… master."

Damn it.

Quickly drawing an arrow, I shot down the vampire in the lead. I saw something small and glowing clatter out of his grip. The other two remaining quickly jumped into action. While Serana drew their attention, firing bolts of lightning at them and slashing with her dagger, I hurried over to scoop up the object. It was a small, teardrop-shaped stone etched with the same glowing markings as the standing stones that formed the ring. Above, on a platform overlooking the area where we stood, I saw a short pedestal of the same etched stone.

Hurrying up the stairs, I slid to a halt behind it. There was a round hole at the top, just the right size for the stone I held in my fist. Below, I saw Serana dispatch the other two vampires and heard the telltale _hiss_ as they turned to ashes. Taking the stone, I slid it into its spot.

There was a loud roaring sound and the barrier died. As I hurried back down the stairs, the Moth Priest got to his feet.

"My master is dead, and his enemies will pay," he murmured. When he drew his sword, I smashed him across the face with my bow and knocked him to the ground. Before I could attack again, he shook his head and held up his hands. "Wait, stop!"

I took a wary step back.

Breathing hard, he said, "That… That wasn't me you were fighting. I could see through my eyes, but I could not control my actions. Thank you for breaking that foul vampire's hold over me."

I noticed blood on his face. Kneeling down, I asked, "Are you all right?" I quickly noticed it was just a busted lip, thank the Divines.

He nodded. "I'm quite all right, thanks to you. Dexion Evicus is my name. I'm a Moth Priest of the White Gold Tower. These vampires claimed they had some purpose in store for me, but they wouldn't say what. Probably hoping to ransom me, the fools."

"I know why they needed you. We need you for the same purpose."

"You do?" His posture became a bit defensive. "All right then, enough mysteries."

Nodding at Serana, I told him, "We're working with a group called the Dawnguard, and we need you to read an Elder Scroll."

All wariness gone, he exclaimed, "You have an Elder Scroll? Remarkable! Yours must be the Scroll I was searching for here in Skyrim. The only other that I have heard of is in Alinor, and the Altmer are loathe to part with any of their secrets." He tapped his lips with a forefinger. "If my knowledge of history serves me, I recall that the Dawnguard was an ancient order of vampire hunters. I will be happy to assist you with your Elder Scroll."

"We'll take you back with us to the fort, then."

"Very well. Let's hurry on our way before more of those vampires turn up."

* * *

Isran watched us with reluctant respect as we stepped into Fort Dawnguard with Dexion following close behind.

"I'm impressed you could find a Moth Priest so quickly," the Dawnguard's leader growled, his silver eyes fixed on the other man.

"Yes, well, that's why I'm here."

"This is a _remarkable_ fortress," I heard the Moth Priest say from behind me. "I have colleagues back home that would love to study this place in detail."

"That'll have to wait until later," I told him. "Now, are you prepared to read the Scroll?"

"Oh, most certainly! Let's find out what secrets the scroll can tell."

I nodded to Serana and she stepped forward. Unstrapping the Elder Scroll from her back, she handed it to him.

"Now, if everyone will please be quiet, I must concentrate," Dexion said as he unrolled the Scroll and examined its contents.

Serana, Isran, and I all remained silent for several moments. Then Dexion spoke again, his voice strangely distant.

"I see a vision before me, an image of a great bow. I know this weapon. It is Auriel's Bow. Now a voice whispers, saying, " _Among the Night's Children, a dread lord will rise. In an age of strife, when dragons return to the realm of men, darkness will mingle with light and the night and day will be as one._ " The voice fades and the words begin to shimmer and distort. But wait, there is more here. The secret of the bow's power is written elsewhere. I think there is more to the prophecy, recorded in other Scrolls. Yes, I see it now… It speaks of the potency of ancient blood. My vision darkens, and I see no more. To know the complete prophecy, we must have the other Scroll."

He sighed and rolled the Scroll back up into its gilded case. "I must rest now. The reading has made me weary."

"Come on, old man," Isran said, leading the Moth Priest away. "You should get some rest."

As I watched them walk away, I heard Serana ask in a quiet voice, "Do you have a moment to talk?"

"Of course." I turned to look at her. "What's on your mind?"

"That Moth Priest, Dexion, he said we need another Elder Scroll. I think I know where we can start looking."

I frowned. "Why didn't you say something before?"

"Half the people in this little crew would just as soon kill me as talk to me. That doesn't exactly make me want to open up," she said, indicating the fortress around us. "I got a warmer welcome from my father, and that's saying something."

"What's going on between you two?" I asked her.

"Ever since he decided to make that prophecy his calling, we kind of drifted apart. I don't think he even sees me as his daughter anymore. I'm just… a means to an end."

She went silent for a minute, caught up in her own thoughts. I broke it after a while.

"So, where is this Elder Scroll?"

Serana shook her head as she snapped out of her daze. "We need to find my mother, Valerica. She'll definitely know where it is, and, if we're lucky, she actually has it herself."

"I thought you said that you didn't know where she went."

"The last time I saw her, she said that she'd go somewhere safe. Somewhere that my father would never search. Other than that, she wouldn't tell me anything. But the way she said it… "Someplace he would never search." It was cryptic, yet she called attention to it. What I can't figure out is why she said it that way. Besides, I can't imagine a single place my father would avoid looking. And he's had all this time, too. Any ideas?"

I crossed my arms and looked at the floor, thinking hard. "If it was me, and I was trying to hide from someone like Harkon, I'd pick someplace he'd never even think to check. The only obvious choice for _that_ would be in the castle itself, but–"

"Wait, that almost makes sense!" Serana's amber eyes were wide as she went on, "There's a courtyard in the castle. I used to help her tend a garden there. All of the ingredients for our potions came from there. She used to say that my father couldn't stand the place. Too… peaceful."

"It would be risky to stay around the castle for that long."

"Oh, absolutely, but my mother's not a coward. That is… I don't think we'll actually trip over her there, but it's worth a look."

"They aren't just going to let us use the front door," I pointed out.

"True, but I know a way we can get to the courtyard without arousing suspicion. There's an unused inlet on the northern side of the island that was used by the previous owners to bring supplies into the castle. An old escape tunnel from the castle exits there. I think that's our way in."


	9. Chapter 9: Echoes

Serana and my boots crunched over the stones covering the island's beach as we carefully skirted around the castle. Large gray boulders usually hid us from the castle's sightlines, so hopefully no one in there would notice us. Serana gazed up at the black towers as we passed below.

"Castle looks so big from down here," she commented. "I mean, it _is_ big, but, well, even bigger."

She went silent, and I asked quietly, "Were you and Valerica close?"

"Before my father became obsessed with the prophecy, mother and I spent quite a bit of time together. She was very fond of her alchemical garden in the castle courtyard. She taught me quite a bit about cultivating quality reagents."

"So you always got along?"

She nodded. "Like the best of friends. I would never hesitate to share anything with her."

"But then it all changed."

Serana let out a sigh and tugged on her hood. "It was very sudden. It was almost like one day we were a normal family, and then the next I didn't know who they were. I'd try to visit her in the garden, and she'd quickly shoo me away saying she was much too busy."

"That's why we're headed there?" I asked.

"She had to be up to something in that garden. I'm hoping it's a clue that will tell us where she went."

More silence. A cold wind blew over the beach, stinging my face. It brought small, white flakes with it. Fantastic.

"What about you?" She suddenly asked me, her voice cutting through the quiet. "What were your parents like?"

"They're still around." Sort of. "Da's great. Ma can be… hovering, and we don't always see eye to eye, but we've managed to patch things up. We were separated for a long time, so I try to keep them close."

"You're a good daughter," she said in a soft voice.

"I try."

Serana rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Let's keep going. It's just around this bend."

The cliff side was cut into a kind of shallow cavern. The only way in without a boat was to climb over several rocks jutting out of the water. Careful not to slip, we clambered over to the ruined docks. Massive icicles hung from the cavern's mouth. The sight of them made me shiver. If one were to fall…

"What is this place?" I asked Serana, very careful not to look up again as we climbed up the stairs leading to the back of the cave.

"An old jetty where boats would bring supplies to the castle," she explained. "Once we moved in, it never got used, along with the rest of the undercroft. We'll need to watch our steps inside."

Traps, probably. Fantastic.

There was a door at the top of the stairs. It let out a loud _creak_ when Serana tugged it open. She stepped inside and I followed close behind her.

It was very dark just past the door. I lit a small flame in the palm of my hand and looked around. The old, ruined passages were filled with moldy barrels and an abundance of cobwebs. A skeever hissed at us from a shadowy corner. Serana raised her hand, a red glow appearing on her fingertips, and the pest fell to the floor, instantly dead.

Rounding a corner, I saw a deep pool of water off to the right.

"The old water cistern," Serana commented. "On some days, this would smell just…" She cringed. "Be glad you weren't here then."

"Oh, I definitely am. Did you spend a lot of time down here?"

She shrugged lightly. "I liked to explore. My parents almost never let me off the island, so yeah, I poked around down here a lot. It was a little… quieter back then. Guess a little vampire girl was enough to scare off the rats."

I remembered being the only child in Pelagiad. Having to keep myself entertained by exploring the fields of grass, wildflowers, and mushroom trees that grew around the little town.

"It sounds lonely."

"It was, but I got used to it."

"You have to," I murmured. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her glance over at me, but neither of us said anything else.

After a few minutes, we stepped out onto a t-shaped bridge over a pit filled with sharp stone spikes. The wood creaked beneath my feet and I grimaced. On the far side was another doorway, but the bridge leading to it was still up.

"Take a left up here," Serana said, pointing to the doorway on the left. "This is one of those weird double-barred security measures that my father put in when he got more paranoid. If we follow that path around, we can find the other switch."

I followed her directions, stepping through the doorway and carefully avoiding the chains of spikes that hung from the ceiling of the following passageway. The end of the tunnel was blocked by thick spider webs. From the clicking, hissing noises I heard coming from the other side, I could guess what waited for us beyond.

"Be ready for a fight," I murmured. After burning away the webs, I drew my bow.

In the light from the strands that still burned, I saw the outline of a massive spider as it scuttled toward us. Serana lifted a hand, using her life-draining power on the creature. When it tried to shrink back into the shadows and out of sight, I shot it in the face. It let out a shriek and crumpled.

It was still twitching when I skirted around the massive corpse to the other side of the small room. On the far wall, I found an old, rusty switch. With some effort I managed to yank it down. Below, I heard a groan, presumably as the bridge lowered.

When we hurried down and onto the bridge, Serana said, "This leads out to the courtyard. Just head for the door."

At the top of the flight of old, worn stairs leading up from the undercroft, there was a door. Shouldering it open, I stepped out into the open air. Serana hurried out behind me, and her smile died a moment later.

"Oh no…" She breathed as she stepped past me, looking around in horror.

We'd stepped out into the courtyard, all right, but it was completely in ruins. Dead trees dotted the place along with chunks of rubble from the castle walls. At the center I saw an old, broken sundial.

"What happened to this place?" Serana asked. Her voice had taken on an almost angry edge. "Everything's been torn down. The whole place looks… well, dead. It's like we're the first to set foot here in centuries." She pointed up to what looked like it had once been a doorway, closed up with stone blocks. "This used to lead into the castle's great hall. Looks like my father had it sealed up. I used to walk through here after evening meals. It was beautiful, once."

We kept walking. She soon stopped before a portion fenced off behind a short stone wall. It was thick with tangled weeds and the purple blossoms of nightshade. She gave it a sad look and sighed.

"This was my mother's garden. It…" She turned and gave me a mournful look. "Do you know how beautiful something can be when it's tended by a master for hundreds of years?"

"I can imagine," I said softly.

"She would have hated to see it like this…"

"Serana, if you need a minute, we can–"

"Wait."

Her amber eyes narrowed slightly and she frowned, her gaze fixed on something behind me as she brushed past. I turned to look, trying to find what had caught her attention, but all I saw was…

"Something's wrong with the moondial here. Some of the crests are missing and the dial is askew," she told me as she pointed to it. "I didn't even know the crests _could_ be removed. Maybe my mother's trying to tell us something?"

I nodded to it. "What's so special about this… moondial, anyway?"

"Well, as far as I'm aware it's the only one in existence. The previous owners had a sundial in the courtyard, and obviously that didn't appeal to my mother. She persuaded an elven artisan to make some improvements. You can see the plates that show the phases of the moons, Masser and Secunda."

"Does it work?"

"That's the thing. What's the _point_ of a moondial?" She said. "I always wondered why she didn't just have the whole thing ripped out. But she loved it. I don't know. I guess it's like have a piece of art, if you're into that sort of thing."

"Then what exactly are we doing to it?"

She shrugged and glanced around the courtyard. "Hard to say. Maybe if we found the missing crests, we could figure it out."

We checked the garden first. At the back, leaning against the wall, I thought I saw something glinting in the faint light. Between it and us was the thick patch of weeds, some of which had nasty thorns.

Drawing a knife, I nodded to the overgrown plants and said, "Here, help me with this."

We both stepped in and started cutting our way through the weeds. I could have just burned them, and it might have gone faster, but I didn't want to damage the crest, if that's what it actually was back there.

"You talk about being lonely a lot," I commented to her as I hacked through the vines.

"Well, growing up the way I did, you get used to it."

"And do you still feel that way?"

"A little bit. That's… one of the reasons I wanted to come with you." She paused to finger the silver brooch on her cape. "But what about you?"

I cocked an eyebrow. "What about me?"

"Do you get lonely?" She hesitated. "Are there… people in your life?"

"I've got my parents, a few friends…" I sighed and shook my head. "There was someone I was very close with a long time ago, but he's… He's been gone a long time."

"What happened to him?"

I stopped cutting and glanced over at her. "He died. Two hundred years ago."

"But you're not a vampire, and you're no necromancer. How…?"

"I pissed off a Daedric Prince. It's not a fun story."

"Oh."

"Mostly I try not to rely on others."

"Does it bother you that I'm here?" She asked after a short pause, her voice quiet.

I looked over her face, her amber eyes barely containing her anxiety at the rejection she expected in my answer.

"No. I'm glad you're here."

She gave me a small smile at that. "Me too. Anyway, this is all very touching, but don't we have some more important things to worry about right now?"

I blinked and shook my head. "The crests. Right."

When we'd cut our way through, I reached out and grabbed the object. It was a large disk of pearly glass set onto a metal frame. One of the crests. Hurrying back to the dial, I set it into its place around the circle. We quickly found the other missing crests as well. Upon setting the last crest back into its spot, there was a loud grinding sound as the dial slid back into place and the stones around it sunk down to form a spiral staircase leading into the ground.

"Very clever, mother," Serana said. Her lips quirked and she put her hands on her hips. "Very clever. I've never been in those tunnels before, but I'd bet they run right under the courtyard and into the tower ruins. Well, at least we're getting closer. Let's go."

* * *

Serana was right. The passage beneath the moondial led into old, darkened halls filled with reanimated skeletons and strange, lumbering creatures made of stone. At the end we stepped out the door and into a large room. It seemed to be a laboratory of some kind, with two floors and dozens of shelves filled with everything from books, to ingredients, to bones. At the center of the room a set of concentric stone rings were set into the floor and the whole thing was surrounded by a circle of old, unlit candles.

"Look at this place," Serana breathed. "This has to be it! I knew she was deep into necromancy. I mean, she taught me everything I know."

"So, did you know about this?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "No. I had no idea she had a setup like this. She had an alchemy setup in her drawing room, but nothing that even comes close to what's here."

She wandered around the room, taking it all in, and I followed close behind.

"Look at all this. She must have spent years collecting these components. And what's this thing?" She pointed to the stone rings. "I'm not sure about this circle, but it's obviously… something. Let's take a look around. There has to be something here that tells us where she's gone."

"And what exactly are we looking for?"

"My mother was meticulous about her research. If we can find her notes, there might be some hints in there. I remember she used to keep a small journal. Let's see if we can dig it up."

She started at one end of the shelves while I examined the other. As I flipped through useless tome after useless tome in search of something that might help us, I asked, "What was she even researching in here?"

"Looking at the equipment and materials, it looks like she was trying to advance her necromancy."

"To what end?"

"I don't know. Certainly not longevity. Kind of a waste of time for a vampire."

I pulled a small book bound in faded red leather off one of the shelves. Carefully opening it, I examined its contents.

 _27_ _th_ _Last Seed_

 _Harkon's shortsightedness is becoming a serious problem. I've warned him time and time again that his foolish prophecy would cast far too much light on our people and yet he refuses to so much as listen to a word I say. I've become less a wife and more of an annoyance in his eyes. Devoting attention to my work is the only solace I can find while enduring his ridiculous crusade._

 _28_ _th_ _Last Seed_

 _I've had a breakthrough today. I was able to attune the portal vessel to the Soul Cairn properly by using a small sample of ingredients._

"I think I found her notes," I said, closing the journal and holding it out to Serana.

"You did? Let me see them." She took it from me and flipped it open, skimming the pages.

"What's this "Soul Cairn" that she mentions?"

"I only know what she told me," Serana told me, frowning in a distracted way. "She had a theory about soul gems, that the souls inside of them don't just vanish when they're used… they end up in the Soul Cairn."

"Why would she care about where the souls went?" I asked, frowning.

"The Soul Cairn is home to very powerful beings. Necromancers send them souls, and receive powers of their own in return. My mother spent a lot of time trying to contact them directly, to travel to the Soul Cairn itself."

"Well, if she did make it there, we'll find her."

"That circle in the center of the room is definitely some type of portal," she said, nodding to it. Then she tapped the open page with her index finger. "If I'm reading this right, there's a formula here that should give us safe passage into the Soul Cairn."

"So what do we need to find?"

"A handful of soul gem shards, some finely-ground bonemeal, a good bit of purified void salts… Oh, _damn it_ …"

"What is it?" I looked at around her at the scrawled list.

"We're also going to need a sample of her blood," she sighed. "If we could get that, we wouldn't even be trying to do this in the first place."

"You share her blood, though," I pointed out.

She made a _hmm_ noise. "Not bad. We'd better hope that's good enough. Mistakes with these kinds of portals can be… gruesome. Anyway, enough of that. Let's get started."

"Are all of those ingredients here?"

"Oh, definitely. Mother would have plenty of those materials in her laboratory; we just need to find them. On the shelves, tables… should be easy. She wouldn't have hidden them."

We quickly tracked down the materials and placed them in the silver vessel on the balcony overlooking the circle.

"Then the rest is up to me," Serana murmured. "Are you ready to go? I'm not entirely sure what this thing is going to do when I add my blood."

I looked at her. "Can I ask you something first?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"What will you do if we find your mother?"

She hesitated. "I've been asking myself the same thing since we came back to the castle. She was so sure of what we did to my father; I couldn't help but go along with her. I never thought of the cost."

"I don't know what she was thinking, but she did at least try to protect you."

"Possibly. I guess even a vampire mother is still a mother. She worried about me. About all of us. But she wanted to get me as far away from my father as possible before he really went over the edge."

"Well, we won't know until we find her."

She shook her head. "Yes, you're right. I'm sorry. I just didn't expect anyone to care how I felt about her. Thank you."

"Family is always important," I said quietly. _Always_.

After a pause, she asked me, "Are we ready, then?"

"Yes. Let's get that portal open."

"All right. Here goes." She nicked a finger with one of her fangs and let the blood that welled up drop into the vessel.

The moment that the dark drops touched the other ingredients, the candles below flared to life and the stone rings whirled.

"By the blood of my ancestors…" Serana breathed, staring down at it. "She actually did it… created a portal to the Soul Cairn. _Incredible._ "

The rings broke apart, floating up to create a set of stairs leading down from where we stood to the floor below. Inside the space that they had just occupied was a dark void filled with purple fire.

Taking a deep breath and praying it wasn't a mistake, I descended the stairs and entered the swirling, roaring void.


	10. Chapter 10: Soul

It felt like something with claws was trying to pull my skin off, or that flames were burning just beneath my skin. Even my bones ached. I took a breath and it felt like there were a thousand tiny knifes stabbing at my lungs.

"Are you all right?" Serana asked me. "That looked painful."

When she touched my shoulder pain ripped through my flesh. I cringed and she quickly withdrew her hand.

"It still is," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Now that I think about it… I should have expected this. Sorry."

"What happened?"

She shrugged helplessly. "It's hard to describe. The Soul Cairn is… well, hungry, for lack of a better word. It's trying to take your life essence as payment. I don't know how you even managed to get in. Vampires aren't counted among the living, which is why I got through there without a problem, but a mortal shouldn't…"

"I'm not mortal. Not anymore." I flexed my fingers and winced. "Is it going to be like this the whole time I'm in here?"

"I think so, yes." She twisted her fingers around one of the braids holding back her hair. "I know this is difficult for you, Mara. I hope you trust me. I'd never want to do anything that could hurt you."

"I do trust you. This was my choice."

A hesitant smile touched her lips. "Thank you. Let's not waste any more time, then."

I finally took a look at our surroundings through my tearing eyes. Clouds rolled through the purple sky overhead. I heard thunder and saw brilliant flashes of lightning in the distance. Below old, twisted trees and ruined black towers covered the dead gray earth. Through the haze, I thought I saw the glowing purple outlines of what looked an awful lot like people.

"Come on," I said quietly, descending the rest of the stairs to the ground. The pain was still present, tugging at my soul. I had to just fight my way through it. There was no other choice.

We followed the trail that twisted between the trees and that towers and over the cracked ground. What I'd seen before were people. Ghostly shades, all sporting looks of despair.

"So, this is the Soul Cairn," I whispered. "What is it, exactly?"

"It's a tiny sliver of Oblivion," Serana explained, her voice just as quiet as mine. "It's ruled by unseen beings known as the Ideal Masters."

"Why was your mother so fascinated by it?"

Lightning struck a nearby tower with a loud _crack_ and we both winced.

"Honestly, I don't know," she said. "Necromancers are always interested in souls, though, so that probably has some kind of interest."

There seemed to be plenty of them around. "And what are these Ideal Masters?"

"Nobody really knows. As far as I've heard, no one's seen them and returned to Tamriel to tell about it."

I looked at her askance. "Then how are you sure they even exist?"

"I've read stories." Of course. "Stories about fools that managed to… communicate with them. You give the Ideal Masters souls, they give you powers to summon the undead. It's all very business-like."

"It sounds dangerous and very, very stupid."

"It usually is. Most of the stories end with the Ideal Masters duping the necromancers, who end up dead or _wishing_ they were dead."

We rounded one of the towers and stepped into a grove of the trees. After a few moments I heard a voice. I held up a hand for Serana to stop. She did, and I looked around for the source. Through the trees, I saw the long-dead remnants of a campfire at the center of a small clearing. Pacing around the place was one of the spirits. He seemed to be a Dunmer, and he was muttering to himself.

"Did I start with my ride on the prison ship, or was it before that?"

"…Hello?" I called.

He started and turned to face me. As he did, I saw the ghost of the long scar that slashed down the right side of his face. "Huh? What do you want? How does _anyone_ expect me to write my opus with all of these rude interruptions?"

"What do you mean by "Opus"?"

"What do I mean, indeed! If I hadn't lost all of the pages, I wouldn't be in this predicament and we wouldn't be having this conversation."

I frowned. "Okay, let's just start at the beginning."

"Very well. I suppose a moment or two of my time couldn't hurt." He cleared his throat. "I am Jiub. Some call me _Saint_ Jiub. Others call me Jiub the Eradicator. Perhaps you've heard of me?"

I shook my head and he sighed.

"I can't say that I'm surprised by your answer. Until I get my second volume published, no one will ever know of my achievements."

"Wait. You're talking about a book?"

"A _book_?" He scoffed. "I'd hardly call a twenty-six volume epic simply a "book." Surely you've heard of "The Rise and Fall of Saint Jiub the Eradicator: Hero of Morrowind and Savior of the Dunmer.""

"Maybe a shorter title is in order?"

"Maybe you should leave the writing to an expert and stop making foolish suggestions," he snapped. I rolled my eyes.

"So, how is it going thus far?"

"Terrible," he grumbled. "Simply terrible. I was in the midst of writing the second volume and they just threw me into this prison. It's unfair!"

I looked around, frowning. "Prison? You mean the Soul Cairn?"

"Soul what? What in the name of Vivec are you talking about? All I remember is that damn Dremora and his minions bursting into my home and sending me to their prison."

"A Dremora captured you?"

He shrugged helplessly. "Well, I assume so. It cast a spell at me from some kind of strange black crystal. Next thing I knew, I arrived here."

Oh.

"I hate to break it to you, but your soul was trapped," I told him.

"My what? Wait. That means…"

"You're dead."

" _No…_ " He sat down on a nearby fallen tree and stared down at him hands. "All these wasted months… or has it been years? I don't even remember how much time has passed."

"What happened? Why did a Dremora attack you?"

Jiub sniffed. "Well, that's a ridiculous question. Everyone traveling through here has said that the Oblivion Gates have been opening all over Tamriel."

I inhaled sharply. The Crisis. He was talking about the Oblivion Crisis.

"I remember," I said quietly, sitting down beside him on the log. "One of the Gates opened up near your home and they attacked? Is that what happened?"

He shrugged. "Well, I don't know. Everything seemed fine until that Dremora attacked me. I only heard later about the Gates from the other souls. I can only assume the gates have been closed by now."

"They were. Believe me, they were. Where was the attack?"

"I had just moved from my ancestral home in Morrowind to Cyrodiil. I settled in the city of Kvatch to write my memoirs and to find some peace and quiet."

I stared at him. "You… You were in Kvatch when it was attacked?"

"Indeed!" He said, nodding. "One moment I was writing diligently, and the next, my door bursts open. It was a cadre of Dremora. The city was under attack. I took it upon myself to join the cause and fight the Dremora, thinking this would simply be another feather in my cap. I never knew what became of Kvatch. I wonder if they were triumphant without me."

"I'm sorry to say this, Jiub," I said, "but I'm the one who got your feather."

"You… what?"

I held out my hand to him. "Mara Fides, sometimes known as the Hero of Kvatch."

He shook my outstretched hand with his own ghostly one and stared at me in shock.

"You were there as well?"

"I arrived the next day. I was the one that closed the Gate." I hesitated. "Did… Did you know Martin?"

"Martin? You mean Brother Martin, that priest from the Chapel?"

I nodded.

Jiub shrugged. "Not well, but he seemed like a good man. Why?"

"He saved a lot of people that night. Saved a lot of people later, too." Including me. Tears welled up in my eyes and I hastily brushed them away. At his inquisitive look, I told him, "He… He was the Emperor's son."

"Him? _Really?_ "

I nodded again and laughed quietly. "Yes. Yes, he was."

* * *

We crossed the Soul Cairn, heading for what looked like a fortress on top of a hill in the distance. That seemed like as good a place to start looking for Valerica as any. As we approached, I saw what looked like a glimmering magical shield blocking off the entrance.

Serana raced up the steps, calling, "Mother?"

A woman stepped out of the shadowy doorway behind the shield. She was tall and pale, her black hair pulled up in twin knots. She looked so like Serana, it couldn't be anyone else except Valerica.

"Maker… it can't be," she gasped. "Serana?"

"Is it really you? I can't believe it!" Serana tried to push her way through the barrier, but a spark flashed across it and forced her back. She stared through it at the woman walking towards her. "How do we get inside? We have to talk."

As Valerica approached, I could see fear in her amber eyes. "Serana? What are you doing here? Where is your father?" She looked like she expected Harkon to jump out from behind a pillar at any moment.

"He doesn't know we're here. I don't have time to explain."

"I must have failed," Valerica groaned, bowing her head. "Harkon's found a way to decipher the prophecy, hasn't he?"

"No, you've got it all wrong. We're here to stop him… to make everything right."

Until then, I'd apparently gone unnoticed. Suddenly I found Valerica's cold eyes fixed on me. "You've brought a stranger here? Have you lost your mind?"

"No, you don't–"

Valerica ignored her daughter. Pointing a finger at me, she said, "You. Come forward. I would speak with you."

I stepped around Serana and right up to the barrier.

"So how has it come to pass that a vampire hunter is in the company of my daughter?" She asked coolly. "It pains me to think you'd travel with Serana under the guise of her protector in an effort to hunt me down."

"I'm not here for you. And this isn't a ruse; I'm here to keep your daughter safe. I _want_ to keep her safe."

"I find it hard to believe your intentions are noble."

"All I'm trying to do is stop the people responsible for threatening Skyrim. That's not you. That's not Serana."

She scowled. "Serana has sacrificed _everything_ to prevent Harkon from completing the prophecy. I would have expected her to explain that to you."

"She did. And that's why we're here for the Elder Scroll."

"You think I'd have the audacity to place my own daughter in that tomb for the protection of her Elder Scroll alone?" Valerica shook her head and clasped her hands. "The scrolls are merely a means to an end. The key to the Tyranny of the Sun is Serana herself."

I flashed a glance at my currently silent companion and lowered my voice. "What do you mean?"

"When I fled Castle Volkihar, I fled with two Elder Scrolls." She began to pace, gesturing as she spoke. "The scroll I presume you found with Serana speaks of Auriel and his arcane weapon, Auriel's bow. The second scroll declares that, "The Blood of Coldharbour's Daughter will blind the eye of the Dragon.""

"How does Serana fit into all of this?"

"Like myself, Serana was a human once. We were devout followers of Lord Molag Bal. Tradition dictates the females be offered to Molag Bal on his summoning day. Few survive the ordeal. Those that do emerge as a pure-blooded vampire. We call such confluences the "Daughters of Coldharbour"."

"So this "Tyranny of the Sun" requires Serana's blood?"

Valerica nodded. "Now you're beginning to see why I wanted to protect Serana, and why I've kept the other Elder Scroll as far from her as possible."

"Are you saying," I asked, thinking hard, "that Harkon will kill her if he gets the chance?"

"If Harkon obtained Auriel's Bow and Serana's blood was used to taint the weapon, the Tyranny of the Sun would be complete. In his eyes, she'd be dying for the good of all vampires."

Serana, who had obviously heard all of this, had gone pale. Well, paler than usual. I shook my head firmly.

"No. I won't let that happen."

"And how exactly do you plan on stopping him?" Valerica snapped.

"I'll need your help."

"Have you been listening to me? Like Serana, I'm a pure-blooded vampire. My presence on Tamriel is as much of a danger as hers."

"And Serana's opinion in this? Doesn't _that_ matter?" I demanded.

"You care nothing for Serana or our plight. You're here because we're abominations in your mind, aren't you? Evil creatures that need to be destroyed."

"Serana believes in me. Why won't _you?_ "

"This stranger aligns herself with those that would hunt you down and slay you like an animal, yet I should entrust you to her?" She asked in disbelief.

"This "stranger" has done more for me in the brief time I've known her than you've done in centuries!" Serana countered.

"How dare you! I gave up everything I cared about to protect you from that fanatic you call a father!"

The two women stared at each other, nearly nose to nose, separated only by the barrier. Amber eyes narrowed, pale lips turned in scowls.

"Yes, he's a fanatic. He's… changed. But he's still my father. Why can't you understand how that makes me feel?"

"Oh, Serana. If you'd only open your eyes. The moment your father discovers your role in the prophecy, that he needs your blood, you'll be in terrible danger!"

"So to protect me you decided to shut me away from everything I cared about? You never asked _me_ if hiding me in that tomb was the best course of action, you just expected me to follow you blindly." I saw her fists clench. "Both of you were obsessed with your own paths. Your motivations might have been different, but in the end, I'm still a just pawn to you, too. I want us to be a family again, but I don't know if we can ever have that. Maybe we don't deserve that kind of happiness. Maybe it isn't for us."

She sighed and took a step back from the barrier.

"We have to stop him," she continued. "Before he goes too far. And, to do that, we need the Elder Scroll."

Her mother, for the first time, looked truly remorseful. "I'm sorry, Serana. I didn't know… I didn't see. I've allowed my hatred of your father to estrange us for too long. Forgive me. If you want the Elder Scroll, it's yours."

Serana nodded and turned away. I could see she was still hurt by the whole thing, but that kind of wound would only heal with time. I let her be.

"Your intentions are still somewhat unclear to me," Valerica said, leveling her gaze at me. "But for Serana's sake, I'll assist you in any way that I can."

"Thank you. Do you have the Elder Scroll?"

She nodded. "Yes. I've kept it safely secured here ever since I was imprisoned. Fortunately, you're in a position to breach the barrier that surrounds these ruins."

I looked up at the shimmering wall. "So, what do we need to do?"

"You need to locate the tallest of the rocky spires that surround these ruins. At their bases, the barrier's energy is being drawn from unfortunate souls that have been exiled here. Destroy the Keepers that are tending them, and it should bring the barrier down."

"We'll be back soon," I told her.

I started to turn away, but before I could take a step, she added quickly, "One more word of warning. There's a dragon that calls himself Durnehviir roaming the Cairn. Be wary of him. The Ideal Masters have charged him with overseeing the Keepers, and will undoubtedly intervene if you're perceived as a threat."

So there was a dragon on the loose as well. Fantastic.

"Thank you for the warning."

Valerica nodded. "Be careful, and keep my daughter safe."

* * *

The Keepers turned out to be massive creatures dressed in armor made of bleached bone plates. Each was at least twice my height. Instead of heads, each had a swirling cloud of thick black smoke with twin glowing lights for eyes.

Once we'd defeated the final Keeper and its body had exploded in a burst of smoke, Serana nodded back toward the fortress, saying, "The barrier should be gone now. Let's head back."

As we walked, I asked her in a quiet voice, "How are you feeling after talking to your mother?"

"Relieved, I think. All those things had been building for a while. You have no idea how long I wanted to say that to her."

"So why did you ever agree to her plan?"

She took a deep breath. "Look, I loved my father, but when he found that prophecy… that became his life. Everything else, even me and my mother, we just became clutter. I was close with my mother, but she just kept feeding me her opinions of him, and eventually I started believing them."

"She doesn't seem fond of him, no."

"The moment we gave ourselves to Molag Bal, things got really icy between them. They were both drunk with power and pulling in different directions. Then he found the prophecy and…" Serana gave a half-hearted kind of shrug. "… That was it."

"And you were caught in the middle," I said.

She nodded. "I was. Honestly, it took me up until now to figure out that my mother was really just as bad as he was. He was obsessed with power. She was obsessed with seeing him fail. It was just so… toxic. Maybe I could have seen this coming. We could all be better off now."

"You shouldn't blame yourself for that."

"You don't know what it's like, coming from a family like that," she told me, shaking her head slowly. "Everything eventually tumbles down to you. Anyway, we should keep moving."

When we made it back to the fortress, we found Valerica standing just behind where the barrier had been with her arm outstretched, as if testing to see if it was really gone. As we ascended the steps, she straightened again.

"You managed to destroy all three Keepers?" She looked me over, brows raised. "Very impressive."

"Right. Are you able to give us the Elder Scroll now?"

"Yes." She indicated a door at the back of the entrance that led deeper into the fort and said, "Please, follow me. Keep watch for Durnehviir. With the prison's barrier down, he's almost certain to investigate."

Serana and I followed her through the door. Beyond was a set of stairs leading into a massive, sunken courtyard. Lightning struck the fortress's tall towers and the standing stones that dotted the area. Serana abruptly froze.

"Wait… I hear something."

I stopped as well, listening for what she'd heard. The distinct sound of massive wings pumping the air. Not a good sign.

"I hear it, too," I said, drawing my bow. "Is that–?"

There was a loud roar and a dark, winged shape swooped down from the stormy sky. I saw Valerica grab her daughter's arm, as if she were about to try to pull her away.

"It's Durnehviir. He's here!"

The dragon landed on top of a tower at the center of the courtyard. Throwing his head back, he let out a loud roar. A ball of purple light shot out from between his jaws, splitting apart in midair. When the fragments landed, each formed into a black, skeletal figure. Serana and Valerica shot bolts of lightning at them while I went after Durnehviir.

He leapt into the air, swooping around the outer walls of the fortress, before landing in front of me with a loud _boom_ that made the ground beneath my feet tremble. I drew back an arrow, watching him carefully.

Durnehviir was average sized for a dragon. His horns curled like a frill behind the back of his head. What was strange about him was how… _dead_ he looked. His wings were tattered enough that he shouldn't have been able to fly at all. Dead scales flaked off and floated in the air around him before reattaching themselves to his body.

He sneered as he looked down at me. Glaring back at him, I shot him through one of his eyes. Staggering back, he snarled once and crumpled. Instead of burning, like most dragons did, purple lightning sparked over his hide. A moment later he was gone entirely. I lowered my bow with a frown. I'd never seen a dragon do _that_ before. When I turned around, I saw Valerica staring at me.

"Forgive my astonishment," she whispered, "but I never thought I'd witness the death of that dragon."

"What makes you say that?" All dragons could be killed.

"Volumes written on Durnehviir allege that he can't be slain by normal means. It appears they were mistaken." She hesitated. "Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"The soul of a dragon is as resilient as its owner's scaly hide. It's _possible_ that your killing blow has merely displaced Durnehviir's physical form while he reconstitutes himself."

"And how long will that take, exactly?"

She shrugged helplessly. "Minutes? Hours? Years? I can't even begin to guess. I suggest we don't wait around to find out."

"I agree. Let's get that Scroll and get out of here."

We followed her into a small room set into one of the courtyard walls. Potions and various ingredients covered the two of the ledges that ran along three sides of the room. The third was taken up by a long wooden box edged with silver. Valerica undid the latch and opened the lid. Inside I saw the gilded case of an Elder Scroll. I carefully lifted it from the box.

"That's it," Serana said from behind me. Her voice was edged with a laugh. "That's the last Scroll. Come on, let's take it to Dexion."

"If there's anything I can do before you depart, you must let me know," Valerica told me.

I turned to face her, still holding onto the Elder Scroll. "You're staying here?"

"I have no choice. As I told you before, I'm a Daughter of Coldharbour. If I return to Tamriel, that increases Harkon's likelihood of bringing the Tyranny of the Sun to fruition."

"We'll come back for you when we can."

She gave me a weak smile. "I appreciate your concern for me, but Serana is all that I care about. You must keep her safe at all costs. Remember that Harkon is _not_ to be trusted. No matter what he promises, he'll deceive you in order to get what he wants. And promise me you'll keep my daughter safe. She's the only thing of value I have left."

"I swear it." Nodding to Serana, I said, "Let's get out of here."

We walked back through the courtyard and through the entrance to the fortress, stepping back into the open Soul Cairn. The instant I passed through I found myself staring at a familiar, decaying dragon.

Durnehviir perched on a crumbled bit of roof, presumably from a tower above, his gaze fixed on me. I slowly drew my sword.

"Stay your weapon," he said in a rasping voice. "I would speak with you, _Qahnaarin._ "

I lowered my sword a little. "I thought you were dead."

"Cursed, not dead. Doomed to exist in this form for eternity. Trapped between _laas_ and _dinok_ , between life and death."

I could almost understand that.

"Why are we speaking?"

"I believe in civility among seasoned warriors, and I find your ear worthy of my words," he told me. "My claws have rent the flesh of innumerable foes, but I have never once been felled on the field. I therefore honor-name you _Qahnaarin,_ or "Vanquisher" in your tongue."

The corner of my mouth quirked up. "I found you equally worthy."

Durnehviir inclined his massive head. "Your words do me great honor."

"So why do you call me that?" I asked him. " _Qahnaarin_?"

"In my language, the _Qahnaarin_ is the Vanquisher, the one who has bested a fellow _dovah_ in battle. Even in the Soul Cairn, the defeat of the World Eater has reached my ears, Dovahkiin."

"Ah."

"You may not look like a _dovah,_ but the defeat of Alduin earns you the right of title. My desire to speak with you was born from the result of our battle, _Qahnaarin_. I merely wish to respectfully ask a favor of you."

"All right. What do you want?"

"For countless years I've roamed the Soul Cairn, in unintended service to the Ideal Masters. Before this, I roamed the skies above Tamriel. I desire to return there."

"Then what's stopping you?"

He hummed uncomfortably and shifted a little. "I fear that my time here has taken its toll upon me. I share a bond with this dreaded place. If I ventured far from the Soul Cairn, my strength would begin to wane until I was no more."

"And how could I help?"

"Call my name from Tamriel. Do me this simple honor and I will fight at your side as your _Grah-Zeymahzin_ , your ally, and teach you my _Thu'um_."

"Just call your name?" I asked. "That's all you want?"

"Trivial in your mind, perhaps. For me, it would mean a great deal. I don't require an answer, _Qahnaarin._ Simply speak my name to the heavens when you feel the time is right."

The thought of being stuck in _there_ forever was a terrifying thought. "How did you end up in here, anyway?"

He let out a long sigh. "There was a time when I called Tamriel my home, but those days have long since passed. The _dovah_ roamed the skies, vying for their small slices of territory that resulted in immense and ultimately fatal battles."

"And you were a part of all that?"

"I was, but unlike some of my brethren I sought solutions outside the norm in order to maintain my superiority. I began to explore what the _dovah_ call _Alok-Dilon,_ the ancient forbidden art that you call necromancy."

"So you came here to get answers," I guessed.

"The Ideal Masters assured me that my powers would be unmatched, that I could raise legions of the undead. In return, I was to serve them as a Keeper until the death of the one who calls herself Valerica."

I could easily see where that went wrong. "I take it they didn't tell you she was immortal."

He shook his head. "I discovered too late that the Ideal Masters favor deception over honor and had no intention of releasing me from my binding. They had control of my mind, but fortunately they couldn't possess my soul."

"So is that why you're free now?" I asked him.

"Free?" He chuckled ruefully. "No. I have been here too long, _Qahnaarin._ The Soul Cairn has become a part of what I am. I can never fully call Tamriel my home again, or I would surely perish. I only hope that you will allow me the precious moments of time there through your call."

"I will. I swear it."


	11. Chapter 11: Vision

When we returned with the second Elder Scroll to Fort Dawnguard, I searched for the Moth Priest. It wasn't long before I found him walking down one of the fortress's long stone halls.

"Dexion!" I called after him. He stopped.

"I trust your journey was successful?"

"Yes. I've brought the Elder Scroll," I told him as I unstrapped it from my back.

He sighed. "I'm sorry, my friend. I can no longer be of use in this matter."

I hesitated. "Why? What happened?"

"It's my fault." He said ruefully. "In my haste to read the first Scroll, I neglected the careful preparation required. I thought I'd be able to allay the after effects, but I was wrong. Now I am paying for it."

When he turned, I noticed the band of cloth covering his eyes. I froze, shocked.

"Are you–?"

"Blind?" He sighed. "Yes, I'm afraid so."

"What went wrong?"

"Deciphering one of the Elder Scrolls is nothing like reading a simple book," he explained. "There's quite a bit of ritual and concentration required. It can take months or even years to complete a single Scroll, and even then months to recover."

"Can anything be done to help you?"

"No. It will have to run its course, and there's always the chance I may never recover."

"Then we're finished," I groaned.

"No, there _is_ another way. The question is: how much are you willing to risk to find Auriel's Bow?"

"What would I need to do?"

He hesitated. "I can't guarantee you'd be free from harm. Becoming blind could be the least of your worries."

"Don't worry about that. Just tell me."

"Scattered across Tamriel are secluded locations known only as Ancestor Glades. There's one in Skyrim, in the Pine Forest. Performing the Ritual of the Ancestor Moth within the glade should provide the answers you seek."

"All right. Tell me about this ritual."

"It involves carefully removing the bark from a Canticle Tree," he said, "which will in turn attract Ancestor Moths to you. Once enough of the moths are following, they'll provide you with the second sight needed to decipher the Scroll."

"There's a special way to remove the bark, I take it?"

Dexion nodded. "In keeping with tradition, you must use a specific tool in the Ancestor Glade, an implement known as a Draw Knife. Every Moth Priest is taught this ritual, but few ever get to perform it. You should consider yourself fortunate if it works for you."

"How is a moth even related to the Elder Scrolls?" I asked, feeling confused.

"Well, as I'm sure you've figured out by now, it's no mere coincidence that we're named "Moth Priests." The voice of the Ancestor Moth has always been an integral part of reading the Elder Scrolls."

"Moths barely make a sound, let alone _speak,_ " I pointed out.

Dexion laughed. "Oh, the moths don't literally read the Scrolls, but they maintain a connection to ancient magic that allows the Moth Priests to decipher them. If you listen closely when you find the glade, you should be able to hear their song; a soft, harmonious trilling. It's through this ancestral chorus that the moths tap into a form of primal augur and become a conduit for deciphering the Scrolls."

"And how does that help the Moth Priests, exactly?"

"By having the Ancestor Moths close to the Moth Priest, they can utilize the conduit and share the moth's augury. Only the most resilient of priests can do it this way… It takes years of practice to interpret the harmony."

"Then how do _I_ stand a chance?"

"You've come this far," he told me with an encouraging smile, "and you've found several Elder Scrolls. Whether you believe it or not, the Scrolls have a mind of their own. If they did not want you to find them, they would not allow it. Because of this, I strongly believe _you_ were meant to hear the ancestral chorus. Only one way to find out."

* * *

Dexion's directions led Serana and I to a cave in the woods just east of Falkreath. Stepping through the entrance, I found myself in a relatively small grotto filled with ferns and other small plants. I frowned in confusion. That was the "Ancestor Glade" I was looking for? I thought I saw a light at the back. Perhaps another chamber? I climbed up a nearby ledge and made my way across a fallen tree. Serana followed close behind.

"Hmph. Not very impressive, is it?" She grumbled. "If this ends up being a wasted trip, your friend Dexion and I are going to have some words when we get back."

I laughed. "This'll probably be fine. Let's just look around first."

The light at the back turned out to come from a short tunnel. When it opened up again, I froze, and so did Serana.

Before us was a massive cavern. Light filtered in through holes in the ceiling high above, illuminating a grove of pine trees. Waterfalls tumbled into a pool at the chamber's center. Stone stairs wound down toward the bottom. All through the trees, I thought I saw small, fluttering creatures. The Ancestor Moths.

"Look at this place," Serana breathed as she gazed around in wonderment. "No one's been here in centuries. I doubt there's any other place like it in Skyrim. It's _beautiful_."

We made our way down to the pool at the cavern bottom. In the center was a dais with a standing stone at the top. Floating in a hole carved into it was a kind of ceremonial knife. I took it from its place.

"Well, we got the knife," Serana commented. "Now all we need to do is track down one of those Canticle Trees."

I glanced around. Nearby was a twisted tree covered with small pink blossoms. "I think that might be what we're looking for."

Using the knife, I carefully scraped off some of the tree's rough bark.

"Hope the moths like that bark as much as Dexion said they would."

"I hope so, too," I said.

I slowly approached some nearby moths. The instant I got close, they swarmed toward me and fluttered around my head.

Serana giggled. "Look at them. They've definitely taken a liking to you."

"You think?" I asked with a snort.

"Unless I'm seeing things, you're starting to… glimmer."

With Serana following, I climbed up the trail at the back of the cavern, luring the moths toward me. In addition to the cloud of them around me, the glow Serana had mentioned grew brighter and made it difficult to see.

 _"Whoa!_ "

"What is it?" I asked her.

"I think that might have been what we were waiting for," she said, pointing back down to the pool below. I peered through the haze of fluttering brown wings and saw the whole area was filled with a bright light.

"What do you suppose happens now?"

"The effect around you looks an awful lot like that huge column of light shining on the dais. Let's head back down there and see if we can read the Scroll."

We walked back down the trail toward the light. Serana stood a few feet away, watching as I pulled out the Elder Scroll. Holding it up, I unrolled it.

My eyes instantly filled with brilliant light. It felt like the designs written on the Scroll were being burned into them. All around me, I heard a small, soft sound, like distant singing. The moths. A moment later the designs shifted, forming a glowing map. I quickly recognized it as Skyrim. Beyond the map, I saw the open mouth of a cave just as a light appeared on the western edge.

A voice whispered in my ear, saying, " _Darkfall Cave._ "

Then a loud roaring filled my ears and my vision turned white.

I blinked a few times and the effect slowly faded. The moths had all vanished. Instead Serana stood before me, watching me with a worried frown. I lowered the Elder Scroll.

"Are you okay?" She asked me. "Almost thought I lost you there… you went white as the snow."

"I'm fine," I said, shaking my head to clear the aftereffects of the reading.

"I never trusted those damn Scrolls. Who knows what those things could have done to you. Just look at Dexion."

I smiled a little. "I appreciate the concern."

She laughed quietly before quickly sobering again. "What about Auriel's Bow? Do you know where we can find it?"

"It's hidden in a place called Darkfall Cave."

"Then it's almost over," she said with a sigh of obvious relief. "We can finally put an end to this ridiculous prophecy. Where is this "Darkfall Cave"?"

"The Scroll gave me its location," I told her. "I can find it on a map once we get out of here."

"Then let's get going. I want to get there before my father has a chance to track us down."

From the cavern entrance, I heard a voice shout, " _There they are!_ "

Looking up, I saw a vampire and a couple of armored thralls standing between us and the way out. And they were quickly heading for us.

"And you spoke too soon," I said, drawing my bow.

I shot down one of the thralls as he came charging toward me while Serana drained the life out of the second. The vampire dodged my first arrow by ducking behind one of the pines. My next buried itself in his shoulder. When he staggered back, hissing, Serana grabbed him from behind and slashed his throat open with her dagger. He fell to the ground and slid down the cavern's sloped side, turning to ash as he fell. Looking up, I nodded to Serana.

"Let's go."

* * *

Darkfall Cave was in the mountains southeast of Dragon Bridge. Inside it was black as midnight. I couldn't see a thing. I summoned some flames to my hands to light our way through the cold tunnels.

The passages wound around into the mountains, past underground waterfalls. I kept on the lookout for Auriel's Bow, but thus far I saw no signs of any living presence at all.

That is, until we reached the bridge.

It was an ancient thing spanning a deep chasm cutting through one of the tunnels. Below, I heard the sound of rushing water. Torches lit either end of the bridge. I looked it over warily, noticing the rickety wooden boards and the missing rope handrail on the left side. There didn't seem to be any other way across, however, and that was the only way deeper into the cave.

"Be careful," I told Serana as I stepped out onto the bridge. It swayed and groaned, but otherwise held.

The ledge on the other side was a dead end. Nothing but rocks and old mining equipment.

"This can't be right," I said, looking around and frowning while feeling _very_ confused. "The Elder Scroll said the bow would be here. So where is it?"

"Maybe we missed something back there?" Serana suggested.

"I don't know," I said, walking back out onto the bridge. "I suppose we could go back and check, but–"

There was a loud _snap_ and I realized too late what was happening. The bridge gave out beneath us and we tumbled down into the raging waters below.


	12. Chapter 12: Auriel

The flames I'd summoned went out as I hit the water, plunging us into darkness. The current quickly sucked me under and I fought to surface as I was pulled along by the rushing water. I couldn't see Serana. I'd heard her scream as she'd fallen as well. Where was she?

The river abruptly plunged in a waterfall leading down a vertical shaft. As I tumbled over the edge, I saw massive frostbite spiders descending toward me, illuminated by the faint light of luminescent mushrooms growing on the walls. Just what I needed.

I splashed down into the river below and saw the big, black shapes fall in as well, along with another humanoid figure. Serana.

Another, short waterfall spat me out onto some rocks that scraped across my side. Wincing, I hastily pushed myself to my feet in time to see the spiders and Serana spill out as well. Before the spiders could do much more than hiss at me, I Shouted fire at them. They made high-pitched screaming and clicking sounds as they burned. The flames illuminated Serana, lying on her side and coughing.

I hurried over and knelt down beside her, pulling her into a sitting position and gripping her shoulders as I looked her over for any serious damage. "Are you all right?"

She took a deep breath and nodded.

"Can you walk?" I asked her.

"I think so."

I helped her to her feet. Summoning flames to my hand once more, I looked around. Another tunnel led deeper into the caves.

"Let's go," I told her, and we set off down the tunnel.

* * *

We encountered a few more spiders and a troll on our way through the caves. Eventually we entered a long, twisting chamber whose ceiling was held up by natural stone pillars. Water covered most of the ground. The strange part was the torches that were placed here and there around the cavern.

"Be on your guard," Serana warned me, her voice quiet. I nodded and nocked an arrow.

At the far end of the cave I saw sunlight filtering down onto what looked like some kind of stone shrine. Serana frowned and stared at it.

"What's that?" She murmured. "I can feel some kind of power from it…"

A lone figure stood before the shrine, arms raised. We approached with caution.

"Come forward," he said, turning to face us. "You have nothing to fear here."

As we got closer to him, I saw that he was a mer, barely taller than I was, dressed in white armor trimmed with crimson. His skin and hair were strangely pale and the piercing gaze focused on us was icy-blue.

"Who are you?" I asked him, still feeling wary.

"I am Knight-Paladin Gelebor. Welcome to the Great Chantry of Auri-El."

I looked around, confused. "This cave is a temple to Auriel?"

He waved a hand. "Auriel, Auri-El, Alkosh, Akatosh… so many different names for the sovereign of the snow elves."

I stared at him. Did he just say…?

" _Snow elves?_ You're a Falmer?"

Gelebor sighed and said, "I prefer "snow elf." The name "Falmer" usually holds a negative meaning to most travelers. Those twisted creatures you call Falmer, I call the Betrayed."

I glanced back at Serana, who was looking at the snow elf with some curiosity, before addressing him again. "I imagine you know why we're here."

"Of course. You're here for Auriel's Bow. Why else would you be here?" True. "I can help you get it, but first I must have your assistance."

I sighed. Of course.

"And what kind of assistance would that be?" I asked.

He looked mournful as he told me, "I need you to kill Arch-Curate Vyrthur… my brother."

His own brother? I frowned at the thought. "Why?"

"The kinship between us is gone. I don't understand what he's become, but he's no longer the brother I once knew. It was the Betrayed. They… did something to him. I just don't know why Auri-El would allow this to happen."

"What exactly did the Betrayed do?"

"They swept into the Chantry without warning and began killing everyone without pause," he explained, his voice bitter.

"Didn't you fight back?"

"The Chantry was a place of peaceful worship. I led a small group of paladins, but we were no match for the Betrayed's sheer numbers. They slaughtered everyone and stormed the Inner Sanctum where I believe they corrupted Vyrthur."

"So you don't even know if he's alive?"

"He's alive. I've seen him," Gelebor shook his head in frustration. "But something's wrong. He never looks as though he's in pain or under duress. He just… _stands_ there and watches, as though waiting."

"Have you tried getting into the Inner Sanctum?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Leaving the wayshrines unguarded would be violating my sacred duty as a Knight-Paladin of Auri-El, and an assault on the Betrayed guarding the Inner Sanctum would only end with my death."

"Wayshrine?"

"Yes. Let me show you."

He beckoned to me and I followed him to a dome set onto a platform at the back of the cave, directly in the light coming in through the hole in the cavern's ceiling. It was made of white stone and topped with a golden sun. Raising his hand, Gelebor cast some kind of spell. The sun at the top of the dome flared with light, accompanied by a high bell tone. With a low _rumble,_ the dome rose, revealing a small chamber hidden beneath.

"So, this is snow elf magic," Serana breathed. "Incredible."

Gelebor gestured to it. "This structure is known as a wayshrine. They were used for meditation and for transport when the Chantry was a place of enlightenment. Prelates of these shrines were charged with teaching the mantras of Auri-El to our initiates."

"What's that basin in the center signify?" Serana asked, pointing into the shrine.

"Once the initiate completed his mantras, he'd dip a ceremonial ewer in the basin at the wayshrine's center and proceed to the next wayshrine."

"So these initiates had to lug around a heavy pitcher of water. Marvelous. How long would they have to do that?"

"Well, once the initiate's enlightenment was complete, he'd bring the ewer to the Chantry's Inner Sanctum. Pouring the contents of the ewer into the sacred basin of the Sanctum would allow him to enter for an audience with the Arch-Curate himself."

"All that just to end up dumping it out?" The vampire rolled her eyes. "Makes no sense to me."

"It's _symbolic._ I don't expect you to understand," Gelebor snapped.

Serana put her hands on her hips and looked between the snow elf and me. "So, let me get this straight. We need to do all that nonsense to get into the temple, so we can kill your brother and claim Auriel's Bow?"

Gelebor sighed. "I know how it all sounds, but if there was another way, I'd have done it long ago." To me, he said, "The only way to get to my brother is by following in the initiates' footsteps and traveling from wayshrine to wayshrine just as they did. The first lay at the end of Darkfall Passage, a cavern that represents the absence of enlightenment."

"And how many wayshrines are there?" I asked.

"There are five in total, spread far apart across the Chantry."

"These caves must be massive, then."

"Caves? Oh, no." He chuckled and shook his head. "The Chantry encompasses far more than a few caves, as you'll soon discover. But before I send you on your way, you'll need the Initiate's Ewer. Wait here a moment."

He hurried away to what looked like a small campsite and quickly returned holding a jug made of gold and what looked like mother of pearl.

Handing it to me, he said, "Once you've located a wayshrine, there will be a spectral Prelate tending to it. They will allow you to draw the waters from the shrine's basin as if you've been enlightened.

"I'll be off, then."

He nodded. "I grant you my hopes for a safe journey. May Auri-El watch over you."

Taking the Ewer, I dipped it into the basin in the center of the wayshrine and collected some of the water. The moment I lifted it back up, the far wall of the wayshrine shimmered and vanished, revealing a darkened portal. The air in the gateway rippled. Taking a deep breath, I stepped through, Serana close behind.

"That… wasn't as unpleasant as I thought it would be," she said once we reached the other side, sounding a bit surprised. "Kind of soothing, actually. I feel a little warmer now."

She was right. My clothes had also dried somewhat from the trip down the river. That was something, at least.

Kneeling down, I picked up a fist-sized stone and set it against the top of the Ewer.

"What are you doing?" Serana asked.

"I don't want to lose any of this water." Focusing on my power, I Shouted, " _Strin!_ "

The edge between the rock and the ewer glowed. That should hold it. Fixing a strap to it, I slung it over my shoulders.

Looking around, I saw the passage ahead was lit by pink mushrooms that looked almost like flowers. As we passed, they closed up and went dark.

* * *

The tunnels were, unsurprisingly, inhabited by Falmer. Serana and I managed to sneak past most of the blind, twisted mer and their chaurus. Soon enough, however, we reached a dead end. The passage ahead was sealed by a stone and the wall to the left had two chains hanging from it. I saw holes in the floor and the walls around the barrier, presumably for things to shoot out from. Above, a clawed net was set to swing down.

"Hmmm… Pull chains and traps," Serana murmured as she examined them. "Be careful here. Whatever's on the other side of this, the Falmer wanted to keep there."

"And there's only one way to find out what it is."

Bracing myself for the traps to go off, I pulled the chain on the left. The wall slid down with the sound of stone grinding loudly against stone.

That was when I heard the growl.

A dark shaped loomed on a stone on the other side of the newly-opened barrier. Without hesitation, I drew an arrow and shot it. It snarled and fell over with a _thump._ When I climbed up to examine the body, I saw that it was a large cat with saber teeth. The strange part was the stripes of luminescent green stripes down its dark flanks.

"What in Talos's name..."

Looking up, I stared at my surroundings.

Most of the large chamber was dark, save for what was lit by crystals or massive glowing mushrooms. Waterfalls dropped into the stream that ran through the middle. Deer with luminescent patterned fur scampered over the rocky outcroppings around the cave's edges.

"It... almost doesn't even look real, you know?" Serana whispered as she looked around.

I nodded and pointed to a ledge that crossed over the water. We headed down to it, the odd deer skittering out of our way as we passed, and headed up the other side. Through the shadows ahead I saw what looked like another shrine dome. A ghostly figure waited for us before it.

"That's another wayshrine up there," Serana said. "Here we go."

When we got closer, the ghost of the Prelate spoke.

"Welcome, initiate. This is the Wayshrine of Illumination. Are you prepared to honor the mantras of Auri-El and fill your vessel with His enlightenment?"

I didn't really have much choice, did I?

"I am."

The ghost smiled. "Then behold Auri-El's gift, my child. May it light your path as you seek tranquility within the Inner Sanctum."

As Gelebor had before, the Prelate used his magic to raise the shrine and I stepped inside. Unsealing the vessel, I scooped up some water from the basin. Another portal appeared on the shrine's far wall. I stepped in and Serana followed me through.

It led to yet more caves, filled with crystals and ruined stone pillars. Across from the tunnel was a passageway leading upward. At the end of it I thought I saw a light.

As we walked, I asked Serana, "Do you find it ironic that you're helping these priests?"

She shrugged. "Honestly, I don't think they care what a vampire would do with Auriel's Bow. They're pretty focused on the past. As long as we can get this "Vyrthur" out of the Sanctum, I think they'll be happy to just hand it over.

The passage ended and I helped Serana climb out. She tugged up her hood and we stood side-by-side to look out at our surroundings.

Where we stood overlooked a big, snow filled valley. Strange flowers grew between the tall pines. Wispy clouds brushed across the clear blue sky over our heads.

"This is incredible," she breathed. Her golden eyes were wide. "It's like a whole other world. Come on, the bow has to be in this valley somewhere."

"Hopefully we can find it in here," I murmured as we walked down.

* * *

We found the next few wayshrines without too much issue. The valley wound around in a confusing, twisting way. As the sun set behind the mountains surrounding us, we came across a massive lake whose surface had frozen over. Half-buried in the snowy banks were several skeletons. One of them still clutched a bottle in its fist. I knelt down.

"What is it?" Serana asked me.

I pried the bottle from its boney fingers, wrenched out the cork, and carefully smelled the contents. I frowned, confused. "This is a potion of fire resistance. Why would they need one of those out here...?"

I looked around. There was nothing but the ice-covered lake.

"Let's keep moving," I told her as I got to my feet.

We stepped out onto the lake, taking careful steps and heading toward the other side. For some time everything was quiet save for the whistle of the cold wind through the valley. Then Serana stopped. She looked down nervously at the ice beneath her feet.

"Does this ice feel a little... _thin_ to you?"

Before I could respond, the ice some distance away broke apart with a sound like an explosion as a dragon erupted from beneath the surface. Serana gasped and I stepped back, drawing my bow. I tried to train an arrow on it, but it was moving too fast. When it swooped down toward us, I Shouted at it.

" _Joor zah frul!_ "

With a roar, it came crashing back down onto the lake, cracking the surface and disappearing into the dark water. The ice beneath my feet cracked, and I plunged into the freezing water as well. It felt like every inch of my body was being stabbed with daedric knives. I forced myself to surface, gasping for air and shaking with the cold.

"Mara!" Serana grabbed me and hoisted me back up onto the ice. Her eyes shone in the darkness. "We have to get you out of here. You'll freeze."

"I won't freeze."

I waved her back and set down my bow beside me. Summoning fire to my hands, I let the flames race over my entire body, drying me almost instantly. Nearby, the dragon burst from the ice again, along with a second from the lake's other side. Two dragons. Great.

I ran. Drawing an arrow and praying, I fired at the first. It dropped, falling back into the lake. I felt its soul absorb into mine a moment later.

One left.

It landed on the ice in front of Serana. She summoned crackling sparks to her fingers, but I knew it wouldn't be enough. I raced toward them, my boots slipping on the slick surface. As I did, I shouted, "Hey! Over here!"

The dragon's head swung around and it snarled at me. Skidding to a stop, I shot an arrow into its head. It collapsed onto the ice, which cracked slightly beneath its massive body.

"Are you all right?" I asked Serana.

She nodded. "I'm fine. Let's just find the last two wayshrines."

* * *

The final leg of the valley led through a thin canyon swarming with Falmer that ended in a cavern cut into the side of a glacier. I shivered at the stronger chill once we were inside. My breath was visible every time I exhaled. Ahead, two Falmer attacked a lone frost troll. One shot it in the face and the beast tumbled down into the pool of water at the center of the cavern with a loud _splash_.

"Poor thing," Serana murmured beside me. "I know it would have tried to kill us, but still..."

"Serana, focus," I whispered.

Nocking an arrow, I shot down the first Falmer. The other turned toward us, lips drawn back to reveal its sharp teeth, and I shot it as well.

With the path cleared, Serana and I walked up the path leading deeper into the glacier. Gaps were crossed by rickety bridges made from what looked like bones. I winced as they creaked and swayed beneath me. I didn't particularly want to fall onto all that hard ice below.

Looking at the bridges with distaste, Serana commented, "Not the most solid construction here. About what I'd expect from... creatures like this."

We climbed up from the main chamber through a set of winding tunnels cut into the ice. I stopped, squinting at the snow that covered the tunnel floor. It looked like a thin line of black ran across it... A line that Serana was about to step on.

" _Serana, no!_ "

I lunged forward just as she broke the tripwire. Grabbing her arm, I yanked her back toward me. A clawed trap swung around and crashed into the wall of the tunnel. The sound faded, leaving only the sound of our shocked breaths. I realized that I was still holding onto her. I cleared my throat and hastily let her go.

That was when I noticed the fresh blood on the trap's metal claws. My gaze snapped to Serana, who was holding onto her arm and wincing. I summoned a healing spell to my fingertips and reached for the wound that tore through her forearm.

"Here. Let me–"

She shook her head and drew back. "Healing won't work on me."

I hesitated. Vampire. Right.

"Are you going to be all right?" I asked.

"It won't take long to heal up. One of the perks, I guess."

We kept walking, through the rest of the glacier and into another narrow canyon. At the very end was another wayshrine. As we approached, the ghostly Prelate spoke.

"You've found the Wayshrine of Radiance, initiate. Are you prepared to honor the mantras of Auri-El and fill your vessel with His enlightenment?"

"Yes."

"May the blessings of Auri-El protect you as you climb the road to the Inner Sanctum and final enlightenment."

He opened the wayshrine and I drew water from its basin into the ewer. Stepping back out, I said to Serana, "I think that's the last one. Let's see if we can find this "Inner Sanctum.""

We walked up a path leading away from the wayshrine lined with ruined columns and snow-covered pine trees. Then, across a bridge, I saw it. We both stopped.

"That... has to be the place," Serana breathed. "I've never seen a building like that before. It looks like some kind of temple. By the blood..."

It was built into the side of a sheer gray-rock cliff face. The walls were made of marble as white as the snow around it. Glass windows covered the face of the building, topped with sharp arches. The overgrown front courtyard held a gold statue whose arms dripped with icicles. It depicted a tall mer holding a stylized sun, like the ones one top of the wayshrines.

"This is a statue of Auriel, but it's using the older signs of his power. This temple must be ancient. The bow has to be in here."

A set of stairs on either side of the statue led up to the sealed front door. Before it stood an empty basin. I poured the contents of the ewer into it. The water rushed out into grooves that crossed the floor, ending right in front of the door. When it did, the gilded sun in the middle of the door spun and split, unsealing it. Setting down the ewer, I stepped forward and pushed it open.

The marble halls inside were dark and cold. Ruined chunks of the sanctum littered the floor. All around were Falmer and chaurus, every one of them covered in a layer of ice. Serana walked over to one of them, frowning.

"These Falmer are... they're frozen in the ice. I wonder how long they've been like this." She tapped it with a finger.

"Careful," I warned her. When she stepped back, I looked around warily. The Inner Sanctum felt... wrong. Very wrong.

The rest of the Sanctum looked similar. However, further inside humanoid bones lay strewn across the floor. I remembered what Gelebor had said about the Falmer overrunning the temple and slaughtering everyone inside. I shuddered and looked away.

"And I thought the Soul Cairn was creepy," Serana murmured.

The marble hallways deteriorated into broken passages of ice. At a drop, I jumped first and then helped Serana down as well. We rounded the corner and found ourselves in a large chamber.

Pillars held up the ceiling high above us and wickedly sharp ice spikes grew from the walls. Frozen Falmer stood all around the room. At the far side a throne rested on top of the dais. Seated in it was a pale mer with long hair and garbed in white robes and armor. Vyrthur. When we stepped into the room he looked up.

"Did you _really_ come here expecting to claim Auriel's Bow?" He asked with a sneer. "You've done exactly as I predicted and brought your fetching companion to me."

"Wait, is he talking about me?" I heard the shake in Serana's voice. I stepped between them, nocking an arrow.

"Which, I'm sorry to say, means your usefulness is at an end!"

Vyrthur snapped his fingers and, with a loud _crack_ , the Falmer all around us broke free of the ice. I shot one and it shattered into a thousand gorey chunks. Serana hacked at them with her knife and drained their life essence, leaving them to fall and shatter against the floor. We fought them all off, until they were left as no more than half-frozen pieces around us.

The Snow Elf laughed. "An impressive display, but a wasted effort. You delay nothing but your own deaths!"

There was a rumble.

"Watch out! He's pulling down the ceiling!" Serana shouted. She tugged me aside just in time to avoid being crushed beneath a chunk of the ceiling that crashed to the floor. We skirted around the pieces that fell around us.

Then it stopped.

We faced him, breathing hard. Vyrthur got to his feet, snarling.

"No... I won't let you ruin centuries of preparations..."

"Surrender and give us the bow!" Serana shouted at him.

Vyrthur raised his hands and a glow surrounded him. The chunks of rubble lifted into the air. He cackled.

"Death first!"

My eyes widened.

" _Run!_ " I cried as I pushed Serana out of the way.


	13. Chapter 13: Judgment

There was an explosion of sound and light that knocked me to the ground. I gasped, feeling bits of sharp ice and stone cut into my skin. The ground around me shook from the impact of the falling debris. When the light faded, I saw that the hall around me had been completely obliterated. Serana appeared above me, touching my shoulder and looking worried.

"Are you all right?" She asked.

"Never better," I managed, my voice hoarse. I coughed.

She helped me to my feet, holding my arm to steady me. "He's up there on the balcony. Come on!"

We hurried up the ruined stairs to the balcony she'd spoken of. Vyrthur stood hunched, facing east. In the distance, I saw a sliver of the rising sun. We stopped a few feet away. I drew my sword and watched him warily for any sudden movements.

"Enough, Vyrthur," Serana growled. "Give us the bow!

He turned, lips curled up in a snarl. "How dare you! I was the Arch-Curate of Auri-El, girl! I had the ears of a god!"

"Until the "Betrayed" corrupted you. Yes, yes. We've heard this sad story."

Vyrthur laughed. "Gelebor and his kind are easily manipulated fools. Look into my eyes Serana. You tell me what I am."

Her own eyes widened and she took a step back. "You're... You're a _vampire?_ But Auriel should have protected you..."

"The moment I was infected by one of my own initiates, Auri-El turned his back on me!" He spat. "I swore I'd have my revenge, no matter what the cost."

"You want to take revenge... on a god?"

"Auri-El himself may have been beyond my reach, but his influence on our world wasn't. All I needed was the blood of a vampire and his own weapon, Auri-El's Bow."

"The blood of a vampire... Auriel's bow..."

I looked at her, frowning. "Serana?"

"It... it was _you?_ " Serana gasped. "You created that prophecy?"

He stepped toward her, grinning. A prophecy that lacked a single, final ingredient... the blood of a pure vampire. The blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour."

When he tried to touch her she lashed out, picking him up by the front of his robes and snarling, "You were waiting... all this time for someone with my blood to come along. Well, too bad for you. I intend on keeping it. Let's see if _your_ blood has any power to it!"

Vyrthur broke away with a burst of light that knocked Serana back. I raced forward, crying, "Don't touch her!"

He raised his arm to block my strike and my blade cut deep into his arm. Yanking back his wounded arm, he tried to summon a shield of ice around himself for protection.

" _Yol!_ "

My fire roared through his ice. When he staggered back, I stabbed him through the gut. He fell at my feet and I thought I heard him gasp, "Farewell..."

Behind me I heard a rumble. Looking back, I saw a final wayshrine building rise. Serana was already up and hurrying toward it. I made my way down the stairs as well. Gelebor was waiting for us there.

"So, the deed has been done," he said, voice heavy with regret. "The restoration of this wayshrine means that Vyrthur must be dead and the Betrayed no longer have control over him."

"They weren't to blame for this."

He stared at me. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Vyrthur was a vampire," I explained. " _He_ controlled _them_."

"A vampire? I see. That would explain much... Deep inside, it brings me joy that the Betrayed weren't to blame for what happened here."

"Why?"

"Because that means there's still hope that they might one day shed their hatred and learn to believe in Auri-El once again. It's been a long time since I felt that way and it's long overdue. My thanks, to both of you. You risked everything to get Auri-El's Bow and, in turn, you've restored the Chantry. I can't think of a more deserving champion to carry it than you."

He stepped aside from the wayshrine's door. Inside, over a pedestal where the basin usually was, hovered an ornate golden bow. Stepping inside, I took it. I heard Serana come up behind me.

"It's not as shiny as I was expecting," she commented. "Still, it's beautiful."

I turned back to face her. "What now?"

She sighed. "I think we both know. It's time to face my father. If we don't, he'll keep chasing us for the rest of our lives."

"Serana, you know that, if we do, he has to die."

She took a steadying breath. "I've been thinking about this for a long time. It's... it's not easy, but I don't think we have much of a choice. No. This has to end here and now."

I recognized the fire in her eyes. I nodded. "Then let's face him, together."

"If we head back to the castle and kick his front door in, we're going to be knee-deep in his friends."

"Oh, I don't think we'll be alone when we do," I said with a grim smile.

* * *

We returned to Fort Dawnguard. The moment I stepped through the front doors, I caught sight of their Redguard leader.

"Hey! Isran!" I called.

When he turned, I held the bow up over my head.

"The bow," he gasped. His eyes widened. "You have Auriel's Bow."

"I do."

Stopping before him, I held it out for him to examine it.

"I've heard it described in tales, but I could never have imagined its beauty."

I lowered the bow. "We need your help, Isran."

"Indeed," he said, nodding. "The day hasn't been won while Harkon still walks Tamriel. But what of Serana? Can she be trusted to lift a blade against her own kind? Her own family?"

"I trust her to do the right thing," I said as I looked back at her.

Isran sighed. "I suppose that's as much as I can hope for. Let me address the Dawnguard, and then we'll be off. The men deserve to know that we've finally gained the upper hand."

I hung back, watching as he summoned all the rest of the members.

"Everyone, gather 'round! Come on, then! We haven't got all day!"

Once they had all assembled before him, he cried, "For too long we've allowed these vampires to poison the night and kill our people! Now we finally have the means to strike back! We now have Auriel's bow. The gods themselves have favored us and we must answer with action! The time has come to finally put an end to Harkon and his unholy prophecy! We will march on their lair and destroy those wretched abominations so they can no longer corrupt our world! This is our fight and this is our fate! This is the time of the Dawnguard!"

The waiting Dawnguard fighters cheered. As they all hurried off to prepare for the coming fight, Isran turned to me.

"It's time we take the fight to their door. Gather your things and rest well, my friend. We march on Castle Volkihar."

Once he was gone, I turned to Serana and asked, "Are you ready for this?"

"I don't think you can ever be ready to kill your parent. I'm doing my best to not think of him as my father anymore."

"Just... let me know if you need anything."

"We've got enough to worry about right now," she said with a wry smile. "You stay focused, and I'll worry about me."

* * *

The wind howled as we waited on the stone beach below the vampiric castle. I gazed up at it, squinting between the flurries of snowflakes and sea spray as well as loose strands of my own hair. The Dawnguard stood around me, weapons drawn and waiting for the signal as well.

Isran watched the black towers for a moment longer before looking back over his shoulder at the rest of us. "We're done with this when none of them are left standing. Let's go."

We raced toward Castle Volkihar's gate. As we ran over the bridge, the hulking statues decorating it came to life with loud, guttural screams. The armored trolls that Gunmar trained pounced on them, tearing them apart and letting the rest of us get past. Several vampires raced out of the gate. I dashed past them, Serana and Isran close behind. I'd let the others deal with them. All that mattered was finding and stopping Harkon.

Spells and crossbow bolts shot back and forth across the halls as we ran. Serana grabbed my hand, stopping me.

"No. This way." She pointed up to a door leading off the main chamber.

I looked back at Isran. He nodded.

"Go. For the Dawnguard! For Skyrim!"

Hefting his hammer and roaring, he charged back toward the approaching vampires. I mused that that should have bought us some time. I followed Serana through the door she'd indicated.

It led into some kind of shadowy chapel made of dark stone. The windows high on the walls barely let in any light and the stairs leading up on either side of the chamber were covered with rubble. Piles of bones littered the floor. Hulking statues sat in the corners. Where the altar should have been was a fountain filled with what looked sickeningly like blood.

Standing before it on the dais was Harkon in his twisted, monstrous form. His cold black eyes glared down at us.

"Serana, my darling," he crooned. "I see you still favor keeping a pet."

"You know why we're here" she growled.

"Of course I do. You disappoint me, Serana. You've taken everything I provided for you and thrown it all away for this... _pathetic_ being."

He eyed me with disgust. My grip on Auriel's bow tightened and my fingers itched to grab an arrow.

"Provided for me? Are you insane? You've destroyed our family. You've killed other vampires. All over some prophecy that we barely understand. No more. I'm done with you. You will _not_ touch her."

He laughed. "So, I see this dragon has fangs. Your voice drips with the venom of your mother's influence. How alike you've become."

"No," Serana spat. "Because unlike her, I'm not afraid of you. Not anymore."

Harkon sniffed coldly and turned away from his daughter to look at me. "And _you_. It appears I have you to thank for turning my daughter against me. I knew it was only a matter of time before she'd return with hatred in her heart."

"Hatred born of your neglect."

"A small price to pay for the betterment of our kind," he said, dismissive.

"Your kind is a blight on this world."

"Yes, yes. Always the noble vampire hunter. And what happens when you've slain me? Is Valerica next? Is Serana?"

I laughed harshly. "I wasn't talking about vampires."

He growled and flapped his wings in anger.

"And I'd never hurt her. She's too important to me."

"Then my daughter is truly lost. She died the moment she accepted a mortal into her life."

"Enough!" I snapped, quickly drawing an arrow and aiming it at his head.

"Yes, quite. I'm growing weary of speaking to you and my traitorous daughter. I'll give you a single chance to turn over the bow to me. There will not be a second."

" _Never_."

"Very well then, you leave me no choice!"

He vanished in a cloud of black smoke. I coughed and whirled around, trying to find him.

"I will rend the flesh from your bones!" He cried, his voice echoing off the walls.

"Come out, you s'wit!" I shouted.

Silence save for a distant rustling. Then Harkon appeared on the altar, surrounded by a blood-red shield. All around me animated skeletons rose from the piles of bones. I kicked one down and smashed another with the bow, knocking out the bones of its neck.

"The bow! Use the bow!" Serana cried.

I spun around and fired an arrow at Harkon's shield. The moment they came into contact there was an explosion of light that shook the whole room. Shield gone, Harkon snarled and vanished again.

The statues cracked free of their stone bindings and staggered toward us. One of them swiped at Serana. I raced around her, drawing my sword, and slashed the monster in the throat. When it toppled, I kicked the body away.

"Enough games, let's finish this!"

I ducked to avoid Harkon's swipe from behind. I whirled around, slashing a deep gash in his chest. He struck again, lashing out with his long claws. I leapt back.

"I despise your presence, mortal! You've turned her against me!" He roared.

"You did that yourself!"

Harkon disappeared and I drew Auriel's Bow again, waiting for any sign of him. I could hear nothing but the sound of the trickling blood in the fountain and Serana's footsteps.

"You can't hide from us!" She shouted. She looked around as well, amber eyes narrowed and glowing in the faint light.

There was a roaring, rushing sound and Harkon appeared on the altar once more, throwing up the shield again. He glared at us, snarling.

"Auriel's Bow will be mine!"

"You'll never have it," I hissed.

I fired an arrow, shattering his shield. Once he was unprotected I drew another arrow and shot him in the chest. He staggered back and his inky black eyes went wide with shock.

"No... Serana... Your own father..." He reached out toward her and she drew back.

I watched as he hunched over and his skin ripped from his body in a bloody, smoking heap. Only his blackened skeleton remained standing for a moment before crumbling as well.


	14. Epilogue: Heartline

As the echoes of the fight slowly faded away, Serana stared down at the remains of what had once been her father. I saw that her hand was shaking as she lowered her knife.

"Well," she said with a note of forced calm in her voice, "now that's done."

"What will you do now?" I asked her quietly.

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'll probably stay with the Dawnguard, for as long as they'll let me. They're respectable fighters, and I think they see the benefits of having a vampire on their side now."

We both turned when we heard the door open. Isran. The leader of the Dawnguard stepped into the chapel and looked around with a wary gaze. He looked like he'd been through a guar stampede, but still stood tall. When he caught sight of the mess on the dais, his silver eyes widened. Both Serana and I stepped aside to let him pass. He examined the carnage for a moment before straightening. I thought I heard him let out a sigh of relief.

"It's over. He's dead, and the prophecy dies with him." After a moment of hesitation, he turned to Serana and said haltingly, "I… I suppose this is difficult for you."

"I think my father died a long time ago. This was just… the end of something else. I did what needed to be done. Nothing more."

"I think perhaps… I think you did more than that. You have my thanks." He gave her a solemn nod. Stepping around her Isran addressed me, "So, the beast is destroyed. Not only that, but Auriel's Bow is in safe hands. The Dawnguard will now be dedicated to safeguarding it, making sure that prophecy will never come to pass."

"Good," I said, handing it to him. "It's a lovely bow, but I don't want to be the one responsible for it. I go to too many dangerous places. Have your people deal with it."

I thought I almost saw the faint ghost of a smile on the Redguard's face at my words, but it might have just been a trick of the light.

"You've served Skyrim well," he said. "Even with these vampires gone, the fight isn't completely over. Once we're settled back in at the fort, there will be more work to do. We'd be honored to have you join us."

"I'll help whenever I can."

He nodded to me and then to Serana before leaving the chapel. The door let out a low _boom_ as it shut behind him. The only sound in the room after that came from that fountain filled with blood on the dais.

"It'll be strange, winding down again," I murmured. What was my life anymore, really, without the excitement of the world potentially ending?

I saw Serana nod out of the corner of my eye and I looked over to see her staring back at me with those amber eyes that glowed slightly in the chapel's gloom. I didn't realize how close we'd gotten until she held up her hand. Her fingertips rested against my lips.

"Don't."

I took a step back and gave her a curious look.

"Look, you're great," she said with a sigh. "Really. But I just don't think that's for us. Especially not me. I mean… with my history, I still kind of get a chill just walking by a temple. Can't imagine going _in_ one."

I rubbed my thumb over the amulet that hung around my neck. "And I'm still too hung up on men who were born and died during all that the time you were under, right?"

She laughed quietly. "Right."

"Then that's it."

"Yes."

I made a small _hmm_ sound. Reaching out, I took her hand and squeezed it before saying in a low voice, "I hope you know that I consider you a friend, Serana. I'm glad I met you."

"Come on, now. Enough of this sentimental stuff," she said. Still, she gave a light squeeze back before pulling her hand away. She nodded to the door. "We should get going. I need to get to the fort and you need to go back home. Of course, if you've got any more adventures planned..."

The corner of my mouth turned up in a slight smile. "I'd love to have you along."

"That's what I wanted to hear."

* * *

 **A/N: I'd like to thank everyone reading this. It really means a lot to me that you guys like this series. On the tumblr for the series (the-dragonblood-saga) there are book trailers for both _Honor Bound_ and _Bitter Faith_ if you'd like to check them out. As for the series itself, we are drawing to a close with only two books left. _Once Forgotten_ should be posted soon. Hope to see you then.**


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